Accessing Human Tissue for Research

Human tissue samples are crucial in medical and scientific research enabling development of new medicines and treatments, improving detection of many different diseases, and advancing understanding of how and why they arise.

“The NHS is a major source of tissue donated by consenting patients who have undergone surgery or other minor medical procedures. Samples that would otherwise be discarded as clinical waste can be used to support medical research. A coordinated network provides managed access and robust governance to support access to a wide variety of tissue in addition to facilitating the collection of bespoke samples.”
NHS Research Scotland Biorepository Managers

Through the NHS Research Scotland Biorepository Network, national systems provide streamlined access to anonymised tissue and limited associated data across Scotland.