Calls for Welsh transplant opt-out scheme

[okarol]

Calls for Welsh transplant opt-out scheme

Sep 8 2007

by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to increase the number of organ donors in Wales have called on the Chief Medical Officer to break his silence on presumed consent.

And the Kidney Wales Foundation has appealed for new Wales-only laws to change the current organ donor system from an opt-in one to an opt-out system.

Neither Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Jewell nor Health Minister Edwina Hart have publicly stated whether they are in favour of a system of presumed consent, which many believe would increase the number of potential donors and reduce the waiting lists for transplants.

England’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has already announced his full support for presumed consent.

Helena Jones, 74, from Glynneath, whose four children need a kidney transplant, said, “Dr Jewell should have the guts to answer the question and not hide behind the skirt of the [Health] Minister.

“I applauded the work of Sir Liam – his debate, I am told, in July, put 22,000 more people on the organ register.

“I would like to see leadership like that in Wales. Dr Jewell gets paid to hold a view and we have a right to know what he thinks.”

The current organ donor system relies on people registering as donors while they are still alive.

A presumed consent – or opt-out system – would assume that everyone wants to donate their organs after death, unless they register their opposition.

Support for a change in the law has grown consistently over the last few years, particularly as studies have revealed that 70% of people want to donate their organs after death but only 20% are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

The Kidney Wales Foundation believes Dr Jewell and Ms Hart should grasp the opportunity provided by the Assembly’s new powers to make Wales the first country in the UK to pass a law of presumed consent.

The British Medical Association Cymru has also called for an opt-out system.

Dr Tony Calland, chairman of the BMA’s Welsh Council and medical ethics committee, said, “We must increase the number of donors available and the BMA believes that a system of presumed consent with safeguards will help to achieve this.”

The calls come as 1,500 people take to the streets of Cardiff tomorrow to run in the HSBC Kidney Wales 10k and 2k family run.

Allison John, from Fishguard, who was the first person in the UK to have a liver, heart and lungs and kidney transplant said, “Wales led the way in calling for a smoking ban, it can do it again with transplants.

“Hundreds of people are dying needlessly because of the dire shortage of organs but there is a way we can save lives if we are brave enough to step in first. The Assembly Government now has the tools to do the job – it’s time to use them.”

More than 400 people in Wales are currently waiting for a organ transplant – 28 people from Wales died last year while on the waiting list.

Gaynor Taylor, from Barry who made the decision to donate her skateboarder son Richard’s organs after a tragic accident, described organ donation as “a gift” which can help to ease the pain of losing a loved one.

“If I can do it, others can certainly do it,” she said. “To me it meant that Richard’s life wasn’t in vain and that some good came out of the tragic loss a young life.”

Dr Jewell said, “The Welsh Assembly Government works closely with the other UK health administrations and UK Transplant on developing proposals to increase the number of organs available and improve transplant services.

“It is recognised that there is a critical shortage of donated organs and increasing numbers of patients being listed for transplant.

“A UK task force set up to make recommendations on increasing the number of organs available for transplant is expected to report later this year.

“In a meeting with the Kidney Wales Foundation on July 16, the Minister undertook to explore the issue of presumed consent. Any change to legislation would require wide-ranging consultation.”

To join the NHS Organ Donor Register call 0845 60 60 400

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