Presumed consent - Organ donation

An interesting article about consent. Make sure that your wishes are known to your relatives.

bbc.co.uk/news/health-47359682

[Peter_Plymouth]

If only it was so simple - I do generally approve of opt-out rather than opt-in since it is all too easy in our busy times to forgot to register - always one of those things that you mean to get round to but never quite manage it.

However to make this successful it needs more than just consent from the donors, it needs all the support staff around the donor and their family to help them with the transition and feel happy with what it happening to their loved one. I know time is often of the essence but the families must not feel rushed and forced into decisions that they are not comfortable with.

I believe that the TP teams and services around them in the NHS do as good a job as it possible in such stressful and emotional circumstances. They have so many emotional conflicts to deal with meeting both the donor family as well as the ever optimistic recipients.

I do think this change will help but only if we maintain the high standards we have come to expect from the NHS and their handling of donors and their families in these challenging and changing times. I for one do not want to be the recipient of an organ that there is any doubt that the donor family fully understand the kindness and generosity of their gift and that it was given freely and lovingly as their last jester to their loved one.

Peter

[mncold]

Hi snoutie,

It is an interesting article.

I don't like other things that require me to "opt out" instead of assuming that if yes is not checked then the answer is No.

I do see that hospitals and patients would probably benefit, but .....

I do see that this change is more administrative that law and doesn't need voting, etc.

I guess this is one of those areas I see benefits from, but worry about abuses.

Mary

[Hidden in reply to mncold]

Excellent points and that is why the consent is only presumed. Anyone who makes the choice to be a donor, should have a discussion about their wishes with their relatives. These wishes are then clear, should the situation arise when the relatives are asked the question.

I am not sure about administration but I would have thought this would be less not more, but I am not certain about that one.

The onus is now upon the individual to make the decision that they absolutely do not wish to be considered for donation.