Opt-out organ donation plans launched

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is set to launch plans for an opt-out system of organ donation in England, moving to a system of ‘presumed consent’.

Despite some critics believing that there is not enough evidence that opt-out policies increase donation, the system would see all patients presumed willing to donate their organs upon death, unless they have signed up to a register stating that they do not want that to happen. Nonetheless, it is strongly believed that organs would not be taken against the wishes of the family.

According to NHS Blood and Transplant, 1,100 families in the UK decided not to allow organ donation because they were unsure, or did not know whether their relatives would have wanted to donate an organ or not, leading to the Conservative Party saying that 500 people died last year ‘because a suitable organ was not available’.

Currently, 80 per cent of people say they would be willing to donate their organs but only 36 per cent register to become an organ donor. It is hoped that changing the system to an opt-out model of consent will mean more viable organs become available for use on the NHS, potentially saving thousands of lives.

An opt-out system was launched in Wales in December 2015, with half the 60 organs transplanted in the six months to June 2016 coming from people whose consent had been presumed. Just six per cent of the Welsh population have signed the opt-out register.

The proposed consultation will ask three questions: how much say should families have in their deceased relative’s decision to donate their organs?; when would exemptions to ‘opt-out’ be needed, and what safeguards will be necessary?; and how might a new system affect certain groups depending on age, disability, race or faith?

Hunt said: “Every day, three people die for want of a transplant, which is why our historic plans to transform the way organ donation works are so important. We want as many people as possible to have their say as we shape the new opt-out process. As well as changing the law, we also need to change the conversation – it can be a difficult subject to broach, but overcoming this fatal reluctance to talk openly about our wishes is key to saving many more lives in the future.”