Do anatomical specimens, former anatomical specimens and body parts have to be incinerated or can they be cremated?
Many people regard cremation as a more dignified or respectful method of incineration. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, two different sets of regulations govern the process of cremation: the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 and the Cremation (Belfast) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1961. Both sets of cremation regulations are outside of the remit of the HTA but fall within that of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Cremation Regulations 2008 introduced amended forms to support the cremation process. This change affects anatomy establishments. The old Form A has been replaced by the form Cremation 1 which is available from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) website. For body donations that pre-date the new form, the MoJ has suggested that the Cremation 1 form is completed by the Designated Individual (DI) and submitted alongside Form A which will have been completed by the donor’s family. The ultimate decision to accept such an arrangement rests with the medical referee
