New customers

Are you a UK hospital or Primary Care Trust?

Tissue will only be supplied to UK hospitals or Primary Care Trust addresses and only to a named registered healthcare professional.  

Storage of tissues

You must have systems in place to store the tissue. 

Service costs

We operate a cost recovery model (a charge to recoup the costs of running the service). Supply is on condition of the provision of an order number for invoicing. Out of hours in an emergency, this order number can be supplied next working day only if there is faxed authorisation from a registered practitioner. An invoice will be sent monthly from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) for all orders supplied. 

Agreeing to our service

Supply of tissue is on condition of a signed service level agreement (SLA) or contract being in place. In rare exceptional circumstances e.g. an emergency out of routine hours, tissue will be supplied without an SLA by arrangement (we will require written faxed authorisation from a registered healthcare practitioner as an interim agreement prior to arranging signing of the SLA). 

Management of the supply service

Management of the supply service agreement will be undertaken by NHSBT. Signature will be via the chief executive's office. For the convenience of the user, the service level agreement is comprehensive and allows for multiple departments to order and store tissue e.g. orthopaedics, ophthalmics, burns, cardiovascular etc. within the Trust. Some Trusts / organisations may choose to have a Trust / organisation-wide agreement in place (which may cover multiple sites) where a suitable responsible person can be assigned to ensure the requirements are met. 

Regulatory compliance

A signed SLA ensures compliance with EU Tissue and Cells Directive (EUTCD) regulations. The EUTCD covers all aspects of storage and traceability from donor to recipient. As storage and tracking can only be effectively managed locally, an agreement is required to define responsibilities. Some of these aspects e.g. tracking to recipient will be verified by regular audit. 

Contact details

For further information, clinical or scientific advice, or to place a first order, please contact us on 0845 607 6820.

Out of routine office hours, an automated message will provide you with a pager number to contact your nearest on call professional. Alternatively, you can leave a message and we will return your call next working day.

You will be able to place orders once the relevant agreement/contract is signed.