In the wake of the retained organs controversy, trusts were required to set up helplines to respond to the concerns of relatives. Derek Fraser and colleagues reflect on the process of providing group support to those relatives

Throughout the year 2000, public attention was focused on the Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital (Alder Hey) and the fact that organs and tissue are commonly retained following post mortem examinations. On January 30 2001, the Redfern Report on the events at Alder Hey was released and the Retained Organs Commission was set up to oversee all matters relating to the retention of organs. The report caused immense concern and in response all NHS trusts were required to introduce helplines so that relatives could determine whether organs and/or tissue from family members had been retained following post mortems.