ABSTRACT

The complexity of the entire plethora of legal issues involved reinforces the need to consider the viability of xenotransplantation at the earliest possible stage; certainly before contemplating proceeding to clinical trials or investing significant sums of money in continued scientific research in this area. In xenotransplantation, the research exception, therefore, would cover the transfer of clinical information between health professionals but would not necessarily include information being passed to others. Information stored in respect of xenotransplantation recipients and their contacts will need to be managed within the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. The first relates to the costs likely to be associated with xenotransplantation and the second to the rights of individuals to have resources allocated to them should they have a need for them. Assuming that central funding is made available for xenotransplantation, there are additional resource decisions which will be taken at the level of health authorities and boards, and within them.