University admits retaining organs for research

A local family has spoken of their devastation following revelations that Queen's University retained tissue from their son, who died 11 years ago.

The family was informed on Tuesday that the university still has six samples of brain tissue from Colin Bingham, who died in 1991 as a result of a joy-riding incident.

The news that parts of the child's brain were removed without the knowledge of relatives comes as a second blow to the family, who only last year were assured by the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast that all tissue matter belonging to the boy had been returned to them following a post-mortem examination.

It is thought that the discovery of the tissue samples was made during a recent audit of university premises, and the university has admitted retaining organs and human tissue for research and teaching purposes.

A spokesperson from Queen's said that the university had "acted in good faith" in the matter, but relatives of the boy have hit back at how they have been denied "the truth" and kept in the dark by both the Royal and Queen's University.

It is believed that Queen's is in active contact with two more families regarding further instances of organ retention.

Following findings that organs from children have been routinely removed without parental consent for over 50 years, a public inquiry into the practice of taking tissue samples without family consent was set up last year to look into the procedures of hospitals through Northern Ireland.

(CL)