More than 100,000 organs, body parts and, in some cases, complete foetuses have been retained by hospitals across England, according to two damning reports on organ retention published yesterday. At Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool one doctor was responsible for "systematically" stripping out complete organ systems.
The Health Secretary, Mr Alan Milburn, said the pain caused to parents was "unforgivable", and the government would now establish a commission to oversee the return of organs and body parts to thousands of families.
Laws will be introduced to make it an offence to remove organs or body parts without informed consent.
A distressing 535-page independent report on organ retention at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, conducted by Mr Michael Redfern QC, singled out a former consultant pathologist at the hospital, Prof Dick van Velzen, for scathing criticism.
He worked at the hospital between 1988 and 1995 and also held a pathology post at the University of Liverpool, where he established an institute of foetal research to investigate the deaths of babies.
When Prof van Velzen joined the staff at Alder Hey, the retention of organs dramatically increased. He "systematically ordered the unethical and illegal stripping" of every organ from every child who underwent a post-mortem at Alder Hey.
It is believed that the organ systems of more than 800 children were removed during Prof van Velzen's term. The hospital is also holding nearly 7,000 organs and body parts, including 13 heads of post-term and foetal babies and 1,500 foetuses, although the hospital said no complete foetuses had been retained since 1973.
The investigation discovered that Prof van Velzen, who admitted wrongdoing during the inquiry, lied to families who asked for organs not to be retained, stole medical records, falsified statistics and medical reports and encouraged other staff at the hospital to do the same. The vast majority of organs removed during Prof van Velzen's term were never used for medical research.
In many cases he failed to investigate the cause of death and left the hospital with a fund deficit of £70,000. The report said that Prof van Velzen, who lives in Holland, "must never be allowed to practise again".
A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions and Prof van Velzen is expected to appear before the General Medical Council later this week to face disciplinary charges.
Management procedures at Alder Hey were also bitterly criticised in the report. Mr Redfern condemned the hospital's "inadequate management systems, record-keeping and research records", which led to managers missing opportunities to control Prof van Velzen's "excesses".
While the practice of organ retention at Alder Hey was unique, it was revealed yesterday that it had continued for years in the NHS.
A separate audit in hospitals and medical schools across England, also published yesterday, found that 104,300 organs, body parts and the bodies of stillborn babies and foetuses were being retained, many without consent.
Prof Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, said hospitals and doctors had often adopted a "paternalistic attitude" toward patients whereby the benefits of research and teaching, although vital, were considered more important than the wishes of patients and parents.
His audit found that 25 hospitals accounted for 88 per cent of the organs retained, and that in 16,500 cases retention appeared to contravene the law.
In the House of Commons the Health Secretary, Mr Alan Milburn, said he was deeply sorry for the wrong done to parents. Organ retention had been widespread, but poor record-keeping meant it would probably never be possible to publish an accurate figure of the number of organs retained.
Parents of children whose organs were removed at Alder Hey demanded a public inquiry and criticised the hospital and the University of Liverpool for failing to apologise.
Mr Ed Bradley, chairman of Pity II, which represents hundreds of bereaved parents, said: "The last 17 months have been harrowing and have had a devastating effect on all the families involved.
"To date, Alder Hey and the university have failed to apologise for the removal and retention of organs without consent, a point which has been highlighted in the Redfern report."