The Tissue Services Department manages activities involving human tissues and cells intended for patient treatment within Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
The service operates under a Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licence and supports the safe procurement, storage, testing and supply of human tissues and cells in accordance with national legislation and regulatory standards.
Activities are carried out by Tissue Services staff and appropriately trained University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) staff.
Our service
The Tissue Services Department is responsible for the management of licensed human tissue and cell activities, including:
- procurement
- storage
- donor blood screening
- distribution
- export
The service supports the use of allograft tissues and ensures that activities are carried out in line with legal, regulatory and quality requirements.
Quality assurance and regulatory compliance
The Tissue Services Department operates under Human Tissue Authority (HTA) Licence Number 11100.
The service complies with:
- The Human Tissue Act 2004
- The Human Tissue (Quality and Safety for Human Application) Regulations 2007 (as amended)
- Human Tissue Authority Codes of Practice
- Human Application Licensing Standards and Directions
The Human Tissue Authority is responsible for regulating organisations involved in the removal, storage, use and distribution of human tissue for patient treatment.
Information for healthcare professionals
Requesting allograft tissue
The Tissue Services Department provides a staffed service for requesting allograft tissues during normal working hours.
- Monday to Friday, 09:00–16:30 (Bank holidays excluded)
Out-of-hours access
A limited stock of allograft tissues is available for trained staff to access outside normal working hours.
Stored tissues are available:
- 24 hours a day
- seven days a week
At Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, allografts can be accessed from:
- Med Room 2
- Storeroom 4
Donor screening and testing
The department oversees donor screening activities, including blood testing, to support the safe use of human tissues and cells for patient treatment.
Regulatory oversight
All licensed activities are subject to Human Tissue Authority requirements and quality management procedures to ensure compliance, traceability and patient safety.
Opening hours
Tissue Services office
- Monday to Friday, 09:00 –16:30 (Bank holidays excluded).
Contact us
Tissue Services
Tissue Services Manager
Tissue Services Quality Practitioner
Tissue Services Administrator
Out-of-hours contacts
Tissue Services Manager
Cellular Pathology On-call Duty Manager
Quality assurance and accreditation
The Cellular Pathology laboratories at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital are part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB). The laboratories are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to the ISO 15189:2022 standard.
Accreditation information is available under Cellular Pathology (UKAS Reference 10141).
Tests that do not appear on the UKAS Schedule of Accreditation are not UKAS accredited. These tests are validated in line with laboratory procedures and are carried out by trained and competent staff.
For a list of accredited tests and further information, visit the UKAS website:
Human Tissue Authority approval
The Cellular Pathology laboratory is approved and registered by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA).
Data protection
Cellular Pathology services comply with the Trust's Data Protection Policy. Procedures are in place to ensure the service and its staff meet data protection requirements and follow recognised best practice.
Contact us
For further information about quality assurance and accreditation, contact:
Louise Fallon
Quality Manager
Email: louise.fallon@uhb.nhs.uk
Training and Development
For information on careers, training and education in Pathology, please see our Training and Development webpage.
Last reviewed: 10 July 2026