Austs reluctant to change organ donation arrangements

Austs reluctant to change organ donation arrangements

PM - Friday, 20 July , 2007 18:34:00
Reporter: Samantha Donovan

MARK COLVIN: The Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out Australia adopting the kind of opt-out approach to organ donation, which is currently being debated in the UK.

Opting-out would mean that, after death, a person's organs could be used for transplants into living people, unless the potential donor had notified the authorities that they didn't want this to happen.

Mr Abbott says that approach would scare too many people here.

Australia has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world.

But the main body lobbying Australians to donate agrees with Mr Abbott's position.

Samantha Donovan reports.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: THE UK's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has stepped up his campaign for the introduction of an opt-out organ donation system this week.

Sir Liam Donaldson believes that the shortage of kidneys, livers and hearts is so desperate there, it needs to be assumed that patients who die have consented to the donation of their organs.

And rather than carry an organ donation card or notation on their licence as some Australians do, the situation would be reversed with an opt-out card being carried instead.

But speaking at a function for an organ donation lobby group in Sydney today, Australia's Health Minister Tony Abbott ruled out the introduction of an opt-out system in Australia.

TONY ABBOTT: I don't want people up in arms saying that the Government is gonna steal my body parts, I want people thinking, hey, why don't I put myself on the register. That's what I want to come out of today.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Tony Abbott says he'd take a different approach in encouraging Australians to sign up to donate their organs.

TONY ABBOTT: If you're child was dying or if you're spouse was dying and could be saved by a donor organ, wouldn't you want an organ to be available? Now, it's that old Aussie thing about mateship. If you want to be a mate to as many Australians as possible, go on the list.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Marcia Coleman is the Chairwoman of Australians Donate, the peak national body for organ and tissue donation.

She estimates that about 150 Australians die each year because of a shortage of organs available for transplant.

But she agrees with Tony Abbott that the opt-out organ donation system being debated in the UK wouldn't work here.

MARCIA COLEMAN: I don't believe the Australian community is ready for an opt-out system, if indeed it would ever would be. There are plenty of, there's plenty of interest in the support for organ and tissue donation within Australia.

What we need to encourage people to do is to talk to their families so that in an unfortunate situation where there is a decision to be made, there is a family to support the person wishes as expressed on the Australian Organ Donor register.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: How is Australia going to get that donation rate up and capitalise on that support that you feel is there?

MARCIA COLEMAN: Well Australians Donate commenced a national organ donation collaborative in July last year and the first 11 months showed 29 per cent increase in the average donor rate over the previous five years.

So we believe that working with hospitals in a collaborative environment and moving to best practice and trying to encourage or transform the culture within hospitals, that there will be a much greater take up of organ and tissue donation.

MARK COLVIN: Marcia Coleman from Australians Donate ending Samantha Donovan's report.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1984388.htm