The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) has called on dentists and oral surgeons to ensure they are using products from licensed suppliers, nine months after new rules were announced for acellular bone products.

In the UK, suppliers of acellular bone or skin products for use in patient treatment must hold an HTA licence. The rules ensure that material which comes from human donors is tested for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C before use, and that any products derived from human tissues or cells that may pose a potential health risk can easily be recalled.

The rules apply to all acellular products used for patient treatment, including products derived from human skin used to promote wound healing after injury and products derived from human bone which may be used in dental or orthopaedic surgery. The HTA is now calling on dentists and oral surgeons in particular, who may not have high awareness of the regulation, to ensure they only obtain supplies of acellular products from HTA-licensed establishments.

Dr Sandy Mather, Director of Regulation at the HTA, said, 'Earlier this year we reviewed the risks to patients from bone and skin products following a number of cases where patient safety had been put at risk in Europe. The new regulation was announced in February 2009 with a license application deadline of 6 April 2009. Nine months after announcing the new regulation, we expect all suppliers of acellular products in the UK to hold an HTA license – it is unlawful to operate without one. The rules put patient safety first and we would urge dentists and oral surgeons to ensure, if they are purchasing acellular products from UK suppliers, that the supplier holds an HTA licence.'

The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) is an independent watchdog that supports public confidence by licensing and inspecting organisations that store and use human tissue for purposes such as research, patient treatment, post-mortem examination, teaching, and public exhibitions. It also gives approval for organ and bone marrow transplants from living people through an independent assessment process.

A list of HTA-licensed establishments can be found on the HTA's website at http://www.hta.gov.uk/_db/_documents/Licensed_Establishments_in_Human_Tissue_Sector_-_November_2009.pdf.