Series details: CRDA/21

The Anatomy datasets incorporate data compiled by the Anatomy Office division of the Department of Health in the process of carrying out the requirements of the 1984 Anatomy Act and 1988 regulations which relate to the acceptance and disposal of bodies donated for anatomical research. The datasets are electronic versions of hard copy registers, files and reports similar to those produced by Her Majesty's Inspector of Anatomy since 1832. The database was introduced in 1992, running parallel with paper registers until 1995.

The 1832 Anatomy Act decreed that every Inspector was obliged to make a quarterly return to the Secretary of State or Chief Secretary of every deceased person's body which had been used for anatomical research 'distinguishing the sex, and as far as is known at the time, the name and age of each person whose body was so used.' A body could not be removed from the place where a person had died without a death certificate together with written or verbal proof that the body could be donated for anatomical research subject to the next of kin's consent. The same act also indicated that institutions receiving a body for anatomical research had to send a return to the Inspector providing details about the deceased as well as a certificate of the internment of the body. The 1961 Human Tissue Act allowed for the cremation of such bodies in accordance with the cremation acts of 1902 and 1952.

The 1984 Act and the 1988 regulations enforce that every person granted a licence to practise anatomy must compile and keep records containing particulars relating to each anatomical specimen. The dataset is used to control the processing of the returns of Forms AA2 and AA4, used for acceptance and disposal of bodies respectively, from the 25 anatomy offices. It handles the acceptance of human bodies for research purposes by 39 recognised anatomy medical schools at hospitals and universities in England and Wales and indicates the subsequent disposal of such bodies. The schools are divided into Provincial schools and London schools. These schools in turn have various 'satellite' schools which receive the bodies from these larger institutions. The provincial schools include Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield and Southampton. The city schools include Charing Cross Hospital, King's Hospital, Queen Mary and Westfield Hospital, Royal College of Surgeons, St George's Hospital, St Mary's Hospital, University College, London Hospital and Guys Hospital. The various satellite schools for London and the provinces are Brighton, Clwyd, St Andrew's, Keele, Loughborough, Norwich, Nutfield, Plymouth, Swindon, Oswestry and the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC). Bodies used for anatomical research are to be disposed of no later than three years after receipt unless exceptional circumstances prevail as provided under the 1984 Anatomy Act and the 1988 Anatomy Regulations.

The Anatomy database has, according to its users, resulted in a more effective time-saving system compared to the previous hard copy registers. The returns for the dataset from the anatomy offices on forms AA2 and AA4 are filed with the Health Department's Departmental Records Officer five years from record creation but the content is maintained indefinitely in the electronic Access database.

As previously noted (see Aim and purpose), the Anatomy datasets were compiled by the Anatomy Office division of the Department of Health. For further information on the Anatomy Office and Her Majesty's Inspector of Anatomy, see the Administrative History of the Health Departments.

The Anatomy dataset documents the acceptance, and ultimate disposal, of bodies donated for anatomical research. It indicates the acceptance by recognised medical schools of human bodies for research purposes, and also to indicate the subsequent disposal of such bodies. Its function is to ensure proper disposal of bodies no later than 3 years after receipts unless exceptional circumstances prevail, as provided under the relevant legislation.

It is anticipated that the records from the anatomy dataset will be transferred to NDAD at five yearly intervals.

The Anatomy datasets are public records under the Public Records Acts, 1958 and 1967. They have been assigned the class reference JA 3 by the National Archives.

Fields relating to authoriser and authoriser's name and address in the Anatomy datasets are closed. Related sections of a screenshot in the documentation catalogue ( CRDA/21/DD/4/1) has been redacted for the same reason. The remaining fields and related documentation are open to users of NDAD on demand and do not require to be booked in advance.

The Anatomy datasets are subject to Crown Copyright. Copies may be made for private study and research only.

The data in the Anatomy datasets is subject to the Data Protection Act.

The language of the materials is English.

Documents relating to the Anatomy datasets have been transferred to NDAD. See the Dataset Documentation Catalogue for further details. Accompanying documentation (i.e. non archival documents) has been transferred (1988 Anatomy regulations).

Hard copy registers, files and reports produced by Her Majesty's Inspector of Anatomy since 1832 are held in the the National Archives and have the class reference MH 74.

There are no reports or other publications issued by the Anatomy Office in relation to the Anatomy datasets.

The database was created on an IBM-compatible PC.

The database was created on a PC initially running the Microsoft Windows 3.1 operating system, but subsequently upgraded to later versions of Microsoft Windows.

The information contained in the Anatomy datasets was originally contained in a set of Microsoft Excel (version not known) spreadsheets. Four were produced per year, divided into two categories; London and the Regions from 1992 until 1995. The information was converted to Microsoft Access, version 2.0 in 1995. Access was not customised for use for the Anatomy database for the first transfer (CRDA/21/DS/1) but in 1999 the system was revised to include more tables, query forms, and reports.

Other application software includes Crystal reports version 2.0 (database structure); Forefront Forehelp version 1.04 (on-line help generator); VB Tools version 4.0 - Customs control for date input format.

The datasets were transferred as Microsoft Access database files. For further information see each dataset catalogue via Links to dataset catalogues.

The dataset is dynamic, in the sense that new information is entered into the existing database.

Since 1995 data is entered into the database via on-screen forms.

Details of the content and transformation validation checks performed by NDAD on the Anatomy datasets are recorded in the catalogues of individual datasets: see Links to dataset catalogues for links to the dataset catalogues.

Dataset catalogues provide more detailed information about individual datasets, and are currently available for the following dataset(s):