Opting out of organ donation

[ringme]

So the law has changed and this spring the NHS will consider you to be an organ donor automatically if you don’t opt out. I haven’t had a chance to really consider this all yet, WIBU to opt out at this stage until I have time to think about it or is that a selfish move given that 408 people died last year waiting for a donor?

What will you be doing?

www.organdonation.nhs.uk/helping-you-to-decide/about-organ-donation/faq/what-is-the-opt-out-system

This is yet another ridiculous thread
WTAF is wrong with people on mumsnet.

Am I in some kind of alternative universe.

@beautifulstranger101

I was talking about blood donation not organ donation. I was responding to posters who want a reciprocal system and asking if a reciprocal system should also apply to blood donation.

@MGC31

I was asked for a scenario so I gave one with a known background.

If you would like another

A doctor with a potential donor that can save/improve the lives of 14 people, the person is not on the register.
What is to stop the Doctor falsifying the records to show (and argue with the family) that they are a donor?

@BoneyBackJefferson

• Human Tissue Act 2004.

Next!

Robbery,
Fraud.
Assault.
Drink driving.
Rape.

I could continue the list but there is legislation in place to prevent them as well yet they still happen*

There is no legislation the prevent what you’re talking about. There is the law to deal with the aftermath. Aside from drink driving and fraud. Which is such a ridiculous comparison it’s laughable.

Some people are so pathetic opting out, out of principle because they dont want to be automatically opted in. Hope you or family dont need a transplant ever.
My mum would be alive if she got a transplant sooner. But I lost her in my early 20s. She hasn't been able to meet her grandchildren.
Why let good organs go to waste. Selfish.

I have been an opt-in since 18. Have not thought about opting out but somethings do irk me - George Bests behaviour after getting a transplant and how the family of the person who donated must have felt seeing him abuse their gift- even his wife commented on how awful she felt for that family. I appreciate we do not have a moral based system about how much someone deserves it but I do worry about idiots thinking they can cause all types of harm to themselves I.e drinking / smoking / drugs and just expect a transplant - no doubt thinking it’ll now be easier and just not caring. I KNOW that those people are few and far but Best is a very good example of this shitty attitude. I would hate my organs to go to that type of person but would never opt out as more likely than not it’ll be someone who appreciates it.

Also kinda like that a part of me would still be “living on”😋

They used to have tick boxes of what you are happy with them taking back then... do you have to opt out wholesale now or can you tell them leave the eyes I wanna see the other side?

@randomchap I’m really sorry to read about hour wife. I can only imagine how many people’s lives she has changed, and not just those who received the organs.

I donate blood and am an organ donor. And I had a heated argument with MIL how she refused that DH should be a donor (he’s alive and well I may add), but she would happily let him have organs if he needed them.

I do actually understand people feeling like they are being forced by default and that’s what people dislike; not being in control.

I will continue to be a donor either way.

I think we are turning into America.
The un-deserving poor.
Don’t give to someone who will waste it
Don’t give it to someone who hasn’t given it first
Take take take

I was talking about blood donation not organ donation. I was responding to posters who want a reciprocal system and asking if a reciprocal system should also apply to blood donation

ah ok- I think this is more complex since lots of people can't donate due to medical reasons or if they've travelled to certain countries recently. Therefore, thats not really a comparable scenario. I couldn't donate last time I tried to give blood because I had had microblading done so I have to wait. Thats not really the same as someone refusing their organs after they're dead is it? If you're dead you dont need your organs...

IMO the only good thing that can come from my death is the possibility of saving someone else’s life.

Why would I want to opt out of that? Seriously?!

I watched a young family member struggle, hope and pray for a new heart for 8 months.. until she died.
She was a priory in our country, basically 'top of the list' but sadly there just wasn't enough people choosing to donate.
To the world, she was just one person on a list..... but to us, she was our world.
Something that was essentially useless to someone else at that point , could have given her the long life she'd hoped for.

It's a horrendously difficult situation to be in as essentially you are praying for someone else to die in order for you to live.

I was on the periphery of a situation where someone died in hospital and then became an organ donor.
The deceased person was over 18 and had never mentioned organ donation to anyone, so nobody knew their wishes. Their nearest next of kin made a decision to donate their organs because they saw a poster about it on one of the hospital walls.
They did not die in an accident, they had an illness.
The deceased became what is known as a non- heart beating donor.
From what I saw and in my opinion, and it is just an opinion, the care they received before death was compromised by the fact that they were going to donate.
The organs needed to be kept in as good condition as possible and so treatment was spared to achieve this.
I don't think the person was kept as comfortable as they could have been before death because medications were not as forthcoming as they could have been to protect organ function.
The person was never going to recover, they were always going to die, but their passing was neither peaceful or comfortable.

There is literally nothing for me to consider. Il be dead I wont need my organs. They can take as much as they like to prolong the life of others.

I think it is a great change.

aroundtheworldyet

Feel free to dodge the point.
What is there to prevent these things from happening when they happened before and we now have a more open system?

I'll probably be flamed to death for this by a load of people who have donor cards so think they are 'donors' or think they could be stuffed into a sofa after death etc.

As someone who has actually been a relative in this situation my first priority is with my family. You have no right at all to demand other people's organs or judge others for a situation you have never been in. You or no one else have the right to a part of another persons body. Stuff your 'morals' have some bloody compassion instead.

My mother was kept alive for 18 hours for organ donation, after which her organs may not have been suitable anyway. She was operated on shortly after death to remove them - they had to wait for her to die btw, if it had taken too long then the organs would have been useless. It was the worst day of my whole life. The questions were intrusive (sex life etc), some we didn't know the answers to (resus)

I would never, ever judge anyone for not going through what we did. If my own dc couldn't have it then y'know I'm with them as they are my first priority. I'm on the register btw and will donate mine if it's right.

But there is so much naivity and associated judgement it's horrid. MN chucks the term 'grabby' at pretty much every missed drinks round but someone dying is public property or you/they are a bad person. Just foul. I don't find it a comfort even slightly, my mother should still be alive and the idea that someone is trotting round with one of her kidneys is no help to me.

Flame away, but I've actually been involved in the family consent process and agreed which the judgy people on here haven't.

@streetatlas same. At least we knew her wishes though. People who think 'it's no consideration' are so naive

We all know about organ donation and this proposal has been out for so long we have had so much time to think!

Once I'm dead I'm done with my body so if they want it to save people they cab have it.

@BoneyBackJefferson
Nothing. But that’s not the point. There’s nothing to stop anyone doing anything they want.
But we are generally kind. And I will ere on the fact that most people will do and want to do good.

If you want to get bogged down thinking people are always trying to fuck you over then go for it. It won’t change anything and it won’t make for a happy life

My ex h refused to be an organ donor after his death, I should have realised then what sort of person he was. They can use any part of me they can use, I've always thought that way.

Totally reasonable if you think you'll be needing those organs, otherwise VVVU.

@aroundtheworldyet

We have security systems in place for the exact reason that certain types of people are prone to "fucking us over".

It is thanks to the people that get bogged down in this that we have the security systems that we do and can have the "happy life" that you want.

If you want to ignore this then fair enough, I am happy to ask the questions so that you can do so.

Just having a chat with Dh about this...

I’m opting out, most of my organs are already too damaged to be any use to anyone...so it seems pointless to even try.

I will find out what Dh wants to do.

@ringme bad eyesight does not prevent any part of your eyes being used for transplant (I have worked in eye donation for nearly ten years)

You have no right at all to demand other people's organs or judge others for a situation you have never been in

Of course. Noone has the right to "demand" anyone's organs. However, if an organ transplant could have saved your mum I'm quite sure you would have the opposite view. Just as you say "noone can judge" your situation, equally, you cannot "judge" people who are suffering whilst waiting for an organ and why they feel it should be opt out.

I lost my mum too and I'm so, so sorry for your loss.

Tea I really feel for you.

I often don’t speak out about this kind of thing but now they’ve changed the option to opt out, I have to speak freely.

Boney sorry if I missed it in this fast moving thread but are you worried about the pushing boundaries in medical ethics? I totally see that.