Donor consent law is being changed...

[flirtygirl]

Aibu to have expected more information before they changes the law, did they do a consultation? I feel miffed that it is now going to be deemed consent and you have to opt out.

But what if the system is down or the opt out which is digital and online, did not get stored properly? What about when you move and change address? Do you have to tell every medical practitioner manually as well?

There is no info it seems on what this will mean. If you have info or any helpful links please let me know, thanks

My father, at 79 required a heart and lung transplant so that was never going to happen.
Dr: "At his age blah, blah, blah"

So certain people in society will automatically be discounted based on age or condition. I'm fed up of visiting elderly patients in hospitals who are already being neglected and/or denied surgery that will massively improve their quality of life. This would really top it off if they were denied transplants. How in earth is the NHS going to afford extended transplant surgery when they aren't functioning at a basic level atm?

What will happen to people whose organs fail at a young age with, say, Downes Syndrome? Would they receive a transplant or would some doctor decide they weren't worthy of a donation?

If organs were very freely available the NHS would probably collapse due to:

1. the cost of transplant surgery
2. Difficulty in getting staff to work in other areas. Doctors would possibly want to be involved in the more 'sexy' field of work.

I have opted out (and am categoric I would not want to receive organs either) and, as someone said upstream, it is poor that I have to wait 10 weeks to receive written confirmation.

I also agree with others on here that if you opt out then you should not be allowed to receive a transplant.

Some years ago there was a scandal involving a London hospital selling organs to patients from overseas and despite being NHS the operations were carried out privately. I’m sorry to be cynical but as PP I have concerns.

What will happen to people whose organs fail at a young age with, say, Downes Syndrome? Would they receive a transplant or would some doctor decide they weren't worthy of a donation? I believe it’s only very recently that patients with Downs have been permitted organ transplants.

Thanks for answering AppleDump. You are quite correct when you say this:

You can do what you want with your organs if you want to donate tell your family if you don't Opt Out and still tell your family.

It's that simple!

However, I take issue with the language and scathing judgement applied to those who, for whatever reasons, choose to opt-out. Organ donation is and always should be a choice for the individual. Those who choose not to donate should have that decision respected.

@RedDogsBeg I absolutely agree that you should have the choice what happens to your organs when you pass and opt out will allow people to make that choice.

AppleDump opt-in provided and allowed the choice, opt-out moves it to presumed consent.

All you need to do is tell your next of kin they can block it or consent to it regardless of if you are on the list. So basically being on the list or not doesn't matter its up to your family in the end! I don't know why people are making a huge deal out of this!

user1457017537 if you've thinking of King College Hospital I believe the circumstances were a little more subtle than that; there's an article about it here:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9950874/NHS-organs-donated-to-foreign-patients.html

That said I totally get where you're coming from, and there's no denying the availability of private money can - shall we say - "complicate" things

There are a few articles about how organ transplants, hearts in particular, change the personalities of their recipients.

"The behaviour and emotions acquired by the recipient from the original donor are due to the combinatorial memories stored in the neurons of the organ donated. Heart transplants are said to be the most susceptible to cell memory where organ transplant recipients experienced a change of heart".
(www.medicaldaily.com)

There is a Telegraph article from 2015 about a guy, Kevin Mashford, who was turned into a keen cyclist following a heart transplant.

Just to say I opted out on Saturday and go my letter of confirmation today so under a week ( rather than the 10 weeks they quoted)

I know a few here were worried about the time span

This is actually quite stressing me out. I really don’t want to donate but I can’t bring myself to tell people that.
When it was opt in I could just happily pretend that I had just forgotten too, but this feels like a more final decision.

I think my family would be horrified if they thought I didn’t want to donate.

Hello everyone
Phil Walton, operational lead for Opt Out, will be returning to the guest post to answer questions at 6pm today. If you have any questions please post them here.

I think my family would be horrified if they thought I didn’t want to donate.

You are under no obligation to tell them. You opt out. Job done.

I got my opt out confirmation letter today so nothing like the 10 weeks quoted.

Hope it remains a quick turnaround so that no mistakes can happen in the time between opt out and confirmation.

The guest post is very interesting, especially the questions on biological sex and blood donations. Lots of info over there.

I got my opt out letter today too about 5 days (or whatever my post above on this thread said) - very prompt. I will tell the family to decide at the time, based on condition of my body, what organs people want, if it delays the funeral, if the body can still be viewed, if I can stll have a full burial etc.

It's a huge improvement and will save so many lives, despite the small minority of petty idiots who will opt out out of spite.

Personally, I think the system needs another change:
If you opt out then you opt out as both a donor and as a receiver of organs.

It's massively, unpleasantly, uncomprehensibly unreasonable to expect one without the other.

Okay, a lot of opt-outers would magically have a change of heart (yes) if they suddenly needed one, but maybe they could then just be put as second tier priority or something. I'd still rather an organ was given to a selfish cheeky f**r than left to rot, but at least make them second priority below all people prepared to donate all along.

If you opt out then you opt out as both a donor and as a receiver of organs.

We can't operate on the playground ethics of even-stevens on such complicated matters without creating the kind of precedent that would unravel the NHS.

"You are under no obligation to tell them. You opt out. Job done."

Actually that guest thread seems to say that they can override you; it's their wishes not yours.

@potyisabadcat - it seems not!

From that thread
"NHS Blood and Transplant’s Specialist Nurses have a responsibility to determine the last known decision of a potential donor. The only way we can do this is if we speak to the family."

The justification given by the consultation was that 80% of those surveyed agreed with being an organ donor.
If I was asked in a general survey if I would donate my organs, I would say yes. Because I do not want to seem a dick. In reality, I don't know what I think.

*teyem

We can't operate on the playground ethics of even-stevens on such complicated matters without creating the kind of precedent that would unravel the NHS.*

Well, they pretty much do this in Israel. If two people need the same organ, the one who has held a donor card the longest gets it.

It's not playground ethics at all. It's aligning the interests of the individual with the interests of society. Systems in which interests are aligned have better outcomes.

And it's a bit hysterical to suppose this would make the NHS unravel. Why ever would it do that???? It would upset the petty idiots, but everyone else would stand to benefit and presumably be very happy with it.

appledump, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’m happy to give my organs for donation, but I want my family who know and love me to be in charge of my remains.

I’ve opted out and told my family my wishes. I don’t want my corneas taken and want my family to decide on tissue in discussion with doctors. Took all of 10 mins to set up.

mrsbethel - bad news if your baby needs an organ then I guess, outranked by a toddler I suppose. Also a good way to ensure that organs are given are to older people where objectively they are going to be used for the least amount of time. I have no doubt the Israeli system is more nuanced than you suggest as what you have suggested is just downright absurd.

You wonder how many times you have to point that out to the blinkered, oh so morally superior ones, don't you teyem? They always have to add an insult too just to ram home how much better than everyone else they are.