THE controversial supply of surplus skin from Salisbury district hospital to defence scientists at Porton Down is to go ahead again but patients are to be consulted much more, health bosses have agreed.

The practice of supplying surplus skin tissue to scientists at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency laboratories at Porton for research on a defence against chemical and warfare agents was stopped nearly three years ago.

Salisbury Health Care Trust ceased the supply in the wake of the Alder Hey inquiry into the use of human tissues and organs for research.

Now Porton Down has asked the trust to resume the practice, saying the supply of skin is vital to their research and assuring the health care trust that the research is for defensive purposes only.

One area which scientists are exploring is the development of a barrier cream to resist chemical agents.

Medical director for the trust Eric Waters said more explicit consent forms had been drawn up for patients and greater safeguards had been introduced to ensure patients fully understood what it involved.

The new forms ask the patient if they will consent to their surplus tissue being used at Porton Down or if they do not wish to consent.