After Body Donation for Medical Education: Identifying Good Practice in the Interactions Between Medical School Anatomy Unit Staff and Families After Donor Death

In this thesis I offer an account of the work that Medical School Anatomy Unit staff (AUS) do with the families of body donors in the UK after donor death. Body donation (BD) is the voluntary donation of the body after death for the purposes of medical education. Many still hold the unshakable conviction that body donors are integral learning tools for teaching anatomy. In this thesis I identify that much hidden family liaison (FL) work happens at the point of refusal and after acceptance. FL work at the initial phone call stage, where families or executors informed the AUS of a potential donor’s death, was unexpectedly extensive due to the number of bodies which were refused. After acceptance FL work was a result of the families continued contacts, sending in items, special requests, and those issues which required mediation from AUS. In addition to this FL caused by the families of donors, the AUS also caused themselves extra work unintentionally and intentionally. I also discovered that there were several strategies to limit interactions and encourage closure to limit such FL work and bring this to an end. Although much FL work occurs there is very little recognition, support or training for such work; thus, deeming this work hidden. Thus, in this thesis I demonstrate that AUS have an indispensable, hidden and undervalued role in the smooth running of the BD process and I make practice recommendations related to this FL work.