Donation of organs 'should be automatic' upon death

[LittleLupin]

Story here

"People should automatically have their organs removed for transplant after they die unless they opted out while alive, Britain's most senior doctor is expected to say tomorrow in his annual report."

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Fio, I am so sorry for your loss. have any of your children been tested to see if they are cariers, only my ds has (he was very prem and they thought he might have cf, he didn't but is a carier) and I want dd to be tested too but my doc is being s git about it and wont.

Floo - no, as you sadly have experience of this situation I can fully value your opinion, although you are obviously from the needing a transplant point of view rather than the flip side of the coin of going through severe illness, operations and then dying and then being forced to give organs for transplant iyswim. I think this might explain the differing points of view. It just shows that two people who have experience of this dreadful situation have such differing points of view of it, to try to force one rule/law on everybody would not work.

It only annoys me when people have such strong opinions on these issues if they have no direct experience.

I am really in two minds about this for a whole variety of reasons, but is it cynical to ask how hard they would look for evidence that someone had opted out?

I do carry a donor card, am on the register, and next of kin are all aware of my wishes, but I think if I wanted to opt out I would worry that there isn't much incentive for a doctor to check?

I am sure there would be safeguards but this sort of thing clearly has happened in the past hasn't it?

I am so sorry for your experience Helenn and I am so sorry that you to have lost a sibling and in such a tragic way. When my Grandparents died I was obvoiusly devestated, but it was no where near as awful as when Dan died, but Helenn, my brother had a lifetime of illness, a life time of hospital stays, a lifetime of physio and meds. When he was born in 1974 we were told that he would be lucky to make 16, he lived until 30, so I don't understand what you mean by my not seeing the flip side of the coin of going through severe illness, operations and then dying and then being forced to give organs for transplant. Obvoiusly my parents were not forced to give his organs for transplant, but he wished for his organs that were healthy to be used, as it happened the only organs that were viable were his eyes. (I don't actually know why only his eyes were viable, and why his heart, liver or kidneys weren't viable, my parents are on holiday or else I would ring and ask why.)

I'm registered to donate my organs.

But I am uncomfortable about a system that has the potential to ride roughshod over the emotions and wishes of grieving relatives.

Mistakes in a system such as this are irreversible, and would cause great distress - which I fear may lead to a surge in those wishing to opt out.

I suppose i feel that this would change the climate so that it would be normal to opt out

also, atm if you choose to donate, you have to have a discussion with your family.

This way, if you don't want to donate, you have to have the same discussion.

aaargh normal to opt in.

actually that last post made no sense

i am saying that it would be normal to donate

also, if this went through i expect there would be lots of safeguards. you can't go from this situation where the norm is not to donate, (I think?) to one where it is without big furore

I really don't agree with this. What if the person's family is really against it? Don't they have choice?

I think ultimately it may make grieving easier if you know something so amazing has come out of the loss.It may make us less hysterical about death in general years down the line when it has been in place a while as there will be at least on positive thing about death.Opt out seems a good system.

Just so you know, I have a brother waiting for a Kidney. A couple of years ago he suffered from complete kidney failure and has been on the transplant list since.

noddyholder

How can you decide how someone else should greive? It is different for each person. I think that a person should have a donors card and if they don't then the family should be left to decide. Personally, I am all for donating but that is my personal choice.

I didn't say anything about deciding how someone should grieve.I just think that in the west we have a hrder time coping with death than in other cultures and maybe something like this may help some people vierw death differently.

I have had 2 transplants so am trying to see both sides althopugh I admit that is difficult

"I really don't agree with this. What if the person's family is really against it? Don't they have choice? "

The person concerned has the right to opt out

Just as they have a right to say all sorts of stuff in their will and that HAS to be adhered to.

I might be wrong, but I think the only reason why organ donation isn't put in wills and thus made binding is the time issue.

Lazymoo/Floo - so sorry for my stupid mistake, rather sporadic posting due to dd1 wanting a little attention not helping my concentraton. I was upstairs when I was thinking about your situation and realised exactly what you had been through. Must go now, but will return, .

People are talking about choice but really at the moment the donor doesn't have choice. You can choose to fill in your card and then your family can choose, in their grief, to override your wishes.

It's the family who have the control over your (now dead) body. Not you.

There is not always rejection.I have had 2 transplants one in 1985 which lasted until 2000 when I had another which is what i have now.The drugs do have side effects but are improving all the time.I have travelled the world and had a son which I could never have done without.I suffered organ failure at 18 and i am 42 now so do the sums!!Life is great and rejection is not the end of a transplant and can be overcome

Putting the "rights" of a dead person over the needs of the living seems very odd to me.
Am all for the opt-out system.
Grief can make people make illogical decisions and I would hate to think that my parents could chose to put my organs in a hole in the ground out of some misguided sentimentality. Grieving for a loved-one doesn't require them to have kidneys.

opt out would be good as it's hard for medical staff to approach families at time of death.

I agree that it must be so difficult for the medical staff.

lisad123 Just to clarify with my dad's policeman friend the hospital were not keeping him alive for the family they knew within an hour of him arriving at hospital that he was brain dead but did not inform the family, also the hospital knew that my dad was a friend and waiting to let the family know so they cou;d come and say their goodbyes its just that because he was brain dead their priority was keeping the organs fresh and moving them on rather than informing the family.

Anyway I honestly feel that the upshot of this big emotive debate will be an increased awareness that will maybe make some of the people in the 70% that they do say want to be a donor but don't have a card get one.

As I say I am not against donation I am just for an individual and their family's right to choose.

This is a sensible idea. In fact, I believe that anybody who opts out of organ donation should be banned from receiving the donated organs of others. Why should someone benefit from organ donation if they are not willing to return the favour by donating their own organs?

I agree lyra you don't really know what its like until you are in the situation but you can't opt out and then expect an organ if you fall ill yourself.

Helenn, please don't say sorry, I have reread the thread and I came across as brash and self opinionated and as I only mentioned my Great Aunt and not Dan, I came across as someone who had no first hand knowledge of Transplant/Donation.
Lyrasdemon you made a really good point, that had never crossed my mind before, It makes you think how many people have decided to not let their loved ones organs be donated and then needed an organ themselves years later. I wonder if they ever had regrets.