Interesting Points about Organ Donation
One of the fundamental principles of the UK’s organ donation system is that organs are donated freely, voluntarily and unconditionally
The BMA has long advocated an opt-out system with safeguards and continues to believe this is the best option for the UK - “Building on progress: where next for organ donation policy in the UK?” – BMA February 2012
Donation may not proceed without the explicit consent of either the Donor or someone else legally empowered to give it
Carrying an organ donor card is not enough – you must join the NHS Donor Register and inform your family
Leaders from all the UK's major faiths have united to launch a new action plan aimed at boosting organ donation rates among religious communities The process started with a multi-faith summit, which was held by NHS Blood and Transplant in May 2013
The Plan includes:
A commitment from faith leaders to work with NHSBT and take on roles as spokespeople and ambassadors, both generally and around specific organ donation campaigns.
A review of the languages that NHSBT's leaflets are translated into to reflect the UK's increasingly diverse population.
Proposals for NHSBT to provide information and training to healthcare chaplains and other faith leaders to include definition and diagnosis of death, personal stories and examples of best practice. It is hoped this will help tackle a common area of concern and misunderstanding among some religions.
Local faith communities, whether in the home, in schools, at work or in places of worship, regularly initiating discussion around organ donation.
NHS Blood and Transplant sets out its plans to take organ transplantation to 2020.
The UK strategy sets out the aspiration for the UK to match world class performance in organ donation and transplantation by 2020, by:
- Improving consent/authorisation rates to organ donation to above 80% (currently 57%)
- Bringing the UK deceased donor rate up to 26 per million of the population (currently 19pmp)
- Transplanting 5% more of the organs offered from consented, actual donors (currently 92% of actual donors result in at least one organ transplant)
- Increasing the number of patients receiving a transplant to 74 per million of the population (currently 49pmp)
