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

I would accept organ donation and I can donate an organ while I am alive, not brain dead.

@Lockheart The person who is in greatest medical need should get the organ, regardless of whether they're on the register themselves. We do not live in a country where we deny medical care to people based on the fact we don't agree with their choices.

It's not an abstract, unrelated choice. If someone disagrees with organ donation, then they exempt themselves from the entire system of organ donation.

Those saying you have opted out, or intend to opt out - would you be willing to accept an organ, either on your own, or a family member's behalf? If yes, how can you justify not being willing to donate your own?

I am willing to donate. I'm not willing to have them assume that I am. Yes, I'd accept an organ, but I'd want the donor to be a willing donor.

It's the very fact that most people say they would be happy for their organs to be donated but have never bothered to actually put themselves o the organ donor register (like the OP for example) that means that we have to have a default opt-in scenario. Surely the people who don't like the state's presumption that they will be happy to donate get this?

Presumed consent is an oxymoron. If it's presumed, it isn't consent.
As a concept, introduced in law, it's very worrying

Absolutely...but everyone wails about lives that could be saved.

@Barracker I was one of the minority who was on the opt-in register; statistically it is likely that most of the people lecturing you OP, will be doing so from the dubious position of never having bothered to register themselves whilst the register was opt-in. I'm not sure someone who, even now, ISN'T registered whilst explicit consent is still required, has the moral high ground to lecture you when a dodgy principle of the state owning rights to your body without your actual explicit consent being needed is introduced.

What utter bollocks.

I was on the opt-in register, and i imagine that most people who are actively choosing to engage in this thread are also on it.

Comparing it to rape is just sickening and stupid.

It's the very fact that most people say they would be happy for their organs to be donated but have never bothered to actually put themselves o the organ donor register (like the OP for example) that means that we have to have a default opt-in scenario.

There’s no need to be formally on the register. All you need to do is let your next of kin know.

YABU
your body is of no use to you when you're dead so why not let it be used to help others

@formerbabe Absolutely...but everyone wails about lives that could be saved.

There you go again with your insults. No one is 'wailing'. And the lives that could be saved are not a figment of someone's imagination. They are real people, who you'll happily let die to prove your oh-so-clever point.

but wish there was a box to tick so that my family couldn't override my wishes

There should be. There should also be the opportunity to answer all the questions they ask the family that you have no idea what to answer. Like 'do you want DM to be resuscitated if she goes into arrest purely for organ donation?' 'How long are you willing to be kept alive for?'

It isn't as simple as 'okay' then they wheel them straight off.

It should be the person fills in the questions but I suspect if that happened it would put a lot of people off. DM would have womanfully answered all FWIW she deffo wanted to be a donor and unfortunately it came to fruition.

I think the next step needs to be ensuring that if you are 'pro' donating your organs, that your family cant then over rule that.

We've always talked about it, and everyone in my family would donate if we could, so not an issue hear, but I am outraged that someone can have signed up to donate their organs and then the family can over rule that at the very point when that situation occurs.

Once I’m dead they can have whatever they like of me

This!

The attitude on here is shocking! You’re dead, you don’t need your organs anymore. Let’s save a bloody life if we can.

People on here sound so petty.

You wouldn’t be so against donation should your loved one require a transplant.....

Presumed consent is an oxymoron. If it's presumed, it isn't consent. As a concept, introduced in law, it's very worrying.

Presumed consent is already a significant feature of the law though.

It's not assault when your friend hugs you because there is a presumption of consent.

It's not trespass when you walk up someone's front path because there is a presumption of consent.

Etc etc.

@ScarlettBlaize if someone is ethically opposed to organ donation (e.g. their religion forbids it) then I imagine they would.

But the fact remains that whoever is in greatest medical need should get the organ if they want it. We should not dole out medical care based on how worthy we think their choices are.

OP, you do realise your eyes will stop working for you altogether after you die - what are you thinking of doing with them?

Do you not understand the most basic concept of organ donation?Donated organs save people's lives. If you choose to opt out then you are actively choosing to let someone die

Absolute nonsense. Do you understand the word 'actively'?

They are real people, who you'll happily let die to prove your oh-so-clever point.

Well that's kind of unlikely as only a relatively small number of people die in intensive care for a random reason that doesn't involve cancer or something that makes organs unsuitable. It's a very 'select' group who this ever actually happens to directly.

It's a great move to create the opt out rather than opt in system; I feel like it's much easier for people who wish to donate to be put off doing so because of the morbidity than it is for people who don't want to, to opt out.

It is absolutely fully your choice as to whether you do opt out though, I respect peoples beliefs around burial vary hugely and can be significant so while I hope that most people will stay opted in, I would never judge someone who wanted to opt out.

They can have anything they like from me, I'll be dead, I won't be using my organs any more. I don't understand the mindset of those opting out at all. Why would you burn or bury something that you don't need that would otherwise save someone's life?

I am willing to donate. I'm not willing to have them assume that I am. Yes, I'd accept an organ, but I'd want the donor to be a willing donor.

All donors will be willing, otherwise they'd opt out.

Do you not understand the most basic concept of organ donation? Donated organs save people's lives. If you choose to opt out then you are actively choosing to let someone die because you think the law is 'presumptuous'.

I hate this argument.

Every time you spend your money on a night out/chocolate/luxuries, you are choosing not to give it to charity, so are actively making lives worse for selfish reasons.

That's right, it's your money, so if you donate it to a charity, that's great, it's a gift, if you choose to keep it for whatever purpose you choose, that's fine too, it's yours to do with as you please, whatever the 'rights' and 'wrongs' are.

I've been on the organ donor register for ages, however I don't like opt in due to the underlying assumption that the default owner of your body is the state.

I'm opting out until I can specify no one gets my womb. They can have the rest.

@Lockheart if someone is ethically opposed to organ donation (e.g. their religion forbids it) then I imagine they would. But the fact remains that whoever is in greatest medical need should get the organ if they want it. We should not dole out medical care based on how worthy we think their choices are.

Nope. I have no problem with people such as Christian Scientists/ Jehovah's Witnesses who would neither donate nor accept blood/organs/etc. Anyone who refuses to donate an organ should also be opted-out of the transplant recipient list.

@formerbabe Absolute nonsense. Do you understand the word 'actively'?

Yep. It's when someone like you makes an active decision to take themselves off the organ donor list to make some sort of pathetic point, happily allowing another human being (or more than one) to die in order to make a point that literally no one will notice. Congratulations on your stupid, selfish, childish action.

I feel like it's much easier for people who wish to donate to be put off doing so because of the morbidity than it is for people who don't want to, to opt out.

But as a family if someone has opted in you know it's what they want. If they haven't opted out then you would be far less certain.