Freeman Brothers was first established as a funeral director in 1855. The company now has four offices across Sussex – in Billingshurst, Crawley, Horsham and Hurstpierpoint – and consistently provides a high standard of services to those in need. Members of the team also give talks on topics such as funeral planning, and Becky recently received a query on the idea of donating a body to science…

Towards the end of 2024, I gave a talk about funeral planning, and one of the questions asked by the audience was regarding donating a body to science following the person’s death. This is something that I’ve covered via the blog previously, and am used to answering questions about. It was my own grandfather’s wish, although it wasn’t possible due to the circumstances of his death.

However, something about the question reminded me that it’s worth speaking about this topic again, and updating our knowledge on it – if this is an option you’re curious about, here are your need to knows…

Body donation for medical education and training
Whilst we all have our own ways of referring to various things, language does matter in this instance. Whether we are conscious of it or not, certain phrases make us believe different things. When I approached our local medical school regarding this blog post, a member of the team at the London Anatomy Office was incredibly helpful.

The thing that Hollie was most keen to impress upon our audience is that we should be referring to body donation for medical education and training, or anatomical examination, rather than donating to medical science or research. Some of this language might seem unappealing, but it is very important: there are some specific organisations which research into certain conditions – for example, the Brain Bank – but they take a specific organ or tissue sample, rather than an entire body.

What happens to donated bodies?
When a person dies and they had completed the relevant paperwork in advance – this cannot be done after their death, they have to have made the bequest themselves – they are taken into the care of the local anatomy office once it has been established that they are suitable for donation. The reasons why they might not be suitable vary, and are very rarely anyone’s fault – it can be due to their size, the circumstances of their death, or even when they died (as these offices are attached to medical schools, they are closed during holiday times, and there are time limits on how quickly the transfer of care must be made). So, as I have said previously, it is worth having an alternative plan in case the donation is not able to be accepted.

If the donation is accepted, the deceased person is cared for per the regulations of the Human Tissue Authority. Donors are used to educate and train medical students, doctors, surgeons, and allied healthcare professionals on the structure and function of the body. A single donor can impact the lives of 10 million patients when you consider how many people a trainee will go on to care for during their career, so this is a huge gift to give the medical profession.

What happens when the medical school releases a body?
Once a medical school releases a body, there are several options available. These are all explained via the school’s paperwork, and it is again the choice of the donor during their lifetime regarding what happens. The medical school can arrange a direct cremation, and this may be stipulated as attended – although the service will only be 10 minutes long – and in any case, the ashes may be returned to the donor’s next of kin.

You can also choose to arrange a funeral of your choice, in which case the medical school will arrange transfer of the body into the care of a nominated funeral director.

The London Anatomy Office holds an annual Service of Thanksgiving, to recognise the generosity of all donors. Friends and family are invited to attend the event, which usually takes place in May, to highlight the importance of body donation.

Further information on body donation
There are many resources available to help inform you further, though please do remember that the internet is unregulated, so check that the source you are using is reputable. Information is also generated in all parts of the world – there are some practices which exist in other countries that are comprehensively not allowed in the UK.

We recommend starting with the London Anatomy Office and the Human Tissue Authority.