NEARLY half the Worcestershire families who voiced fears about the possible retention of their loved ones' organs have now been interviewed, health leaders have revealed.

The Worcestershire Hospitals NHS Trust special hotline has taken around 140 calls from anxious relatives.

Cath Plain, the Trust's director of nursing, has said no organs had been retained in any of the cases.

She told members of the Worcester District Community Health Council that in some cases, microscopic pieces of tissue were taken for special slides.

These pieces of tissue were said to be 10 times thinner than a human hair.

Mrs Plain said people who made inquiries were interviewed over the phone, followed up by a confirmation letter.

Enquirers then had the choice of the nurse specialist visiting them at home or arranging an appointment at either Ronkswood in Worcester or the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

Of 138 inquiries, around 60 per cent were from families who had suffered miscarriages.

The other 40 per cent involved either older children or elderly relatives.

Many inquiries dated as far back as the 1960s.

"Many of the people who called were suffering quite severe bereavement," said Mrs Plain.

"Our officers felt perhaps they needed somebody to talk to.

"Out of the 138, we're about halfway through, so it's going to take us a few more weeks before we can talk to everybody.

"But we're well on the way and I believe we're handling it as sensitively and carefully as we can.

"Some of these bereavement issues go back an awfully long way."

Council member Linda Bagley said one of the questions raised by enquirers was how long tissue slides were kept.

"One of the responses we got was that children and grandchildren came back and had samples taken so the information could be used for future generations," she added.

The hotline was set up along with a dedicated specialist nurse last month.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was one of the first 100 allowed to release details of dead people to their relatives.

It was a response to national concern sparked by the Alder Hey Children's Hospital scandal in Liverpool where dead children's organs were taken.