Some individuals may not have wished for the skin to be used by the DERA

Salisbury Healthcare Trust

The skin, which was removed during breast and abdominal surgery at Salisbury District Hospital, was used in "chemical absorption studies" as well as investigations of drug delivery and barrier cream formulation, the trust said.

Patients were required to sign a consent form but this did not fully explain the purpose of the research, the trust admitted.

A statement from the trust said: "The Trust now recognises that this did not inform patients of the specific use of the skin and that some individuals may not have wished for the skin to be used by the DERA and offers its sincere apologies for this."

The chemical and biological warfare research centre at Porton Down is on Salisbury Plain.

Experts at the South Wiltshire laboratories carried out the world's longest-running programme on chemical warfare experiments on humans between 1940 and 1989.

Consent form

Most of the chemical tests done were for the benefit of civilians

Ministry of Defence

The consent form patients were required to sign, which was updated in 1996, read: "I agree/ disagree to any tissue that is removed in the normal course of the operation being used for medical research."

The Trust's statement said: "The Trust thought it appropriate for patients consent to be sought for the use of surplus skin in all forms of medical research through a consent form."

It went on: "The Trust made a decision to stop providing skin to the DERA two weeks ago in the light of issues raised in the Alder Hey report.

"The Department of Health is currently considering the issue of guidance on the appropriate use of human tissue and on gaining informed consent from patients and relatives for its use for medical purposes."

A spokesman for the trust added: "We are stopping the process until we get further guidance from the Department of Health."

The trust said the money it received from the DERA went back into patient care.

As well being sold to the DERA, skin was also used within the Trust to investigate wound healing and the preparation of artificial skin, as well as the treatment of burn wounds.

MOD response

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman, speaking on behalf of DERA, confirmed the skin was used in chemical warfare tests.

"Some of the tests were to find out how the skin absorbs chemicals that might be used to attack our armed forces.

"But they were solely for defence purposes - we stopped developing chemicals for attack at Porton Down in the 1950s."

She added: "Most of the chemical tests done were for the benefit of civilians.

"They were with corrosive chemicals that are used in the home and work place, to see how the skin would be affected by a spillage."

She confirmed the skin was also used to investigate drug delivery and barrier cream formulation.

Representatives from DERA were currently in talks with the trust to decide what course of action to take, she said.