Organ donation could become ‘opt-out’

Organ donation would become opt-out rather than opt-in, under new legislation to be debated by MPs today.

Under current legislation, those willing to donate their organs after death must indicate their consent by signing a national registry through their GP surgery, hospital or on the NHS organ donation website.

However, the so-called “deemed consent” bill, brought forward by Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson, would reverse the existing system so that all patients are assumed to be willing organ donors unless they have stated otherwise.

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Although the number of registered organ donors has risen from 14.1 million people to 23.6 million in the past decade, around 6,300 Britons are currently on the waiting list for a transplant.

An opt-out system “would not only help to deliver an increase in organs available for donation, but also help to shift attitudes about organ donation,” Robinson writes in The Times.

The proposal has cross-party support, with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) stating its support for Robinson’s bill and all seven major UK parties also in favour, Sky News reports.

Multiple polls have demonstrated broad public backing for a change to current legislation. A recent survey by the British Heart Foundation found that 74% were in favour of an opt-out system.

The DHSC is currently carrying out its own consultation on automatic organ donation, after Wales adopted similar legislation in 2015.

Since the new system was introduced, only 6% of the Welsh population have opted out, The Sun reports. However, early evidence suggests the reform “has had no effect on the number of organs available”, John Humphrys wrote for YouGov last year.

The Scottish government is also moving forward with plans to make organ donation an opt-out system.

As well as increasing the number of suitable donors, assumed consent could help tackle the persistent issue of family members refusing to allow donations to go ahead.

NHS research has found that “91% of them agree to it if their relative is on the organ donation register,” says the BBC, compared to only 47% when the deceased has not signed the registry.