All Adults Will Be Presumed To Be Organ Donors …

[naomi24]

…..unless they explicitly opt out.

//An opt-out system for organ donation will soon become law after it passed its last hurdle in Parliament.

Campaigners hope the new system will encourage us to make our wishes known before we die, with an online register for those opting out.

Research has shown more than 80 per cent of adults in England would definitely donate their organs or would consider doing so. However, only 37 per cent of Britons have registered as donors on the NHS Organ Donor Register and received a donor card.

However, Professor Chris Rudge, a leading transplant surgeon, has said he would opt out on the grounds that the State should not presume to take a citizen’s organs. Last year he said: ‘Organ donation should be a present … I am so horribly opposed to a change in the law.’//

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6659669/All-adults-presumed-organ-donors-unless-explicitly-opt-new-law.html

Your thoughts?. For or against?

[Zacs-Master]

Yeah, but they’re usually inebriated medical students , Tora.

[Sqad]

NJ...that is fine and I respect your opinion, BUT opting in is not producing enough donor organs and patients are needlessly dying.
Have you a better alternative to opting out?

[Bigbad]

maggiebee @10.45.
If a family member needed a donation, and hadn’t opted out, then it won’t be a problem will it?

anneasquith @ 10.51.
Would you be happy with your organs going to someone like George Best?
Needed a transplant because of alcoholism, and continued to drink after his transplant.
This is one of the reasons I think I should get a say over who gets anything from me.

[sunny-dave]

Broadening the debate slightly, I think there are two questions that everyone should need to answer :


1. Will I donate my organs after death?

2. Will I hope/expect to receive an organ if one of mine fails?


To me, yes/yes is fine as is no/no

yes/no is odd, but very altruistic and acceptable

no/yes is just plain hypocrisy and should not be allowed to be a valid choice in a civilised society.

As I've said before, whilst the change to presumed consent is better than the existing system, I'd actually like to see a system of 'required decision' :

Under this everyone (and I mean absolutely everyone with the mental capacity to do so) would be required to answer a yes/no question at age 18 (or on becoming a UK citizen) which would be along the lines of :

"Do you consent to donating your organs, remembering that refusing to do so may result in you being further down any list for receipt of organs?"

Refusing to answer the question would be a presumed 'no' - but result in absolute removal of any chance of receiving an organ.

We could play 'catch-up' with the existing population of over-18s as quickly as possible.

[Canary42]

As one who is a registered organ donor, and has a history of over 100 blood donations, I'm not overly concerned one way or another, although I do have sympathy with those who appear to mistrust the medical profession to play fair (we've seen the first steps in the wrong direction with the DNR labelling).

But it did cross my mind that perhaps we ought to extend the principle to blood donating (after all, like the organ situation, there is an insufficiency of donors) - the image of compulsory blood donating is both macabrely amusing and wonderfully dystopian ;-)

[sunny-dave]

I've run out of viable veins for donation, Canary (at least that's what I was told when the turned me away from my last attendance at the Vampire Clinic) - I miss the tea and biscuits though.

[ToraToraTora]

according to research opt-out produces less donors:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45197374

[Canary42]

///I miss the tea and biscuits though.///

So do I, I'm now too old to donate.

[Canary42]

/// according to research opt-out produces less donors: ///

1,300 sample world-wide - statistically hopelessly invalid.

[sunny-dave]

... and ignoring all cultural bias plus a somewhat dodgily worded question.

[MallyJ]

I am a card carrying organ donor.....once I am dead I won't need them so anyone who can use them is welcome to any or all of them .... and I really hope they do the job properly for their new owners.

[New Judge]

"Have you a better alternative to opting out?"

No I haven't, sqad. But the fact that there are insufficient donors indicates to me that not too many people are keen on the idea. If they were they'd take positive steps to register. It's unfortunate that patients die through lack of donors but I don't think this is the ideal way to address the problem. Perhaps a campaign to encourage more donors might be successful as I must say I've not seen anything that might encourage me to investigate the idea.

[Sqad]

NJ...maybe! maybe!

I have to say that i am never impressed by Government campaigns either in presentation OR results.

[anneasquith]

Big dad. George Best........ what about the many lives of children women and men who have been saved with a transplant .

[Prudie]

I'd like to understand what it is about their bodies that makes those who don't want to donate feel that way. After all, unpleasant though it is we will all either be burnt or rot in the ground. What difference does it make?

[anneasquith]

It’s your organs, do what you like with them ;’). In truth I doubt any abers are fit enough to donate major organs . Too old and abused over time LOL

[Bazile]

If you're ill , how much effort and time will medical staff spend in an emergency trying to save your life ; when they know that you're an organ donor ?

[Ken4155]

^
Probably just as much time and effort as if you weren't.

[Zacs-Master]

The same effort as they’re putting into saving the life of the person who would be the recipient. Any other conclusion is rather illogical.

[jno]

there is that, anne. Anyone desperate enough to need my body parts is probably dead already.