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.

I think this is well overdue. Everyone is talking about choice....you do have choice opt out.

I realise that automatically donating childrens organs is a more delicate subject, however, could it be automatic donation for those over 18. Under 18's permission must be sought by parent / guardian...Just typing our loud.

I carry a donor card, but have made my dh promise to donate all of my organs if possible. My dh on the other hand doesn't want any of his organs donated (he feels very strongly about it). Therefore, I must respect his wishes.

i think its a great idea what does it matter what happens to your body your dead

I agree too, and I think eventually it must bring some comfort to those bereaved.

Northumberlandlass - why does your DH feel like that? Would he also refuse a transplant if he needed one (genuine questions by the way )?

I was giving the examples of mistakes in admin in the NHS that actually affect patient care to back up my point that an opt out system will inevitably be faulty.

I think it's worth saying that, as some people have mentioned it, as I wouldn't donate organs, I wouldn't receive one either.

They wouldn't take my organs anyway, I am not allowed to even give blood anymore and they took me off the Bone marrow donor list because I had a blood transfusion in 1994 and they are now worried about CJD.

How nice I thought, thanks for that comforting thought!

joytothewhirled, its all well and good having that feelingnow, that you wouldnt accept an organ but you dont know untill you are in that posistion.

i never ever ever thought transplants would be a part of my life. who does?

When the life is being drained out of you and you can't even lift your head off the pillow and you look at your dcs and wonder how long they will have you and vice versa you would turn down a transplant? I just don't think most people would or we wouldn't be reaching for the nurofen every time we get a headache!Imagine a headache x 100 plus a million other things

joytothewhirled, can I ask why you feel that way? And would you refuse one for your dcs? (Again, genuine questions).

TwoFalls, it's an ethical objections, based in part on an experience of a friend of mine, but also on my faith convictions.

And because I agree with the number of people who have said that it would indeed be hypocritical of me to refuse to donate but be happy with receiving organs.

And that would apply to my young children too. If they chose as an adult to be a donor, I would likely respect their wishes, however.

I understand a faith based reason and can even admire you for it. I do find it impossible to understand how you can turn down an organ for your child though. They will have no opportunity to decide whether they believe the same as you as an adult.

Obviously I do understand intellectually, I just don't understand emotionally. I would be prepared to die for very few principles but I cant think of a single one I would let my child die for.

Sorry I'm sure you didn't really a discussion about it.

I agree kew, have been trying to work out how to say what you just said without causing offence but you did it for me .

I also wonder how many people's principles waver in the face of such a situation.

Kewcumber, I do understand what you mean. It's not a decision we've made with great ease, or without much soul-searching. It's also something that we are not discussing from a hypothetical in our house. There are circumstances we've already faced where this kind of question has been an issue.

I also understand that we're out of the mainstream on this, and I'm not trying to convince anyone to choose our position.

I don't doubt that its been a difficult decision and I'm sure you're well used to people challenging you on it. I did get the feeling that you weren't really wanting to be confrontational/evangelical about it, it'a just such a hard decision to get your head around for someone who doesn;t have the same views.

but who am I to judge - I would no doubt do appallingly awful things to keep my child alive, which is perhaps no better in the grand scheme of things.

Hi Twofalls,
My hubby has a range of reasons, from he doesn't want to be interferred with once he's died / on the way out & if they took his eyes he wouldn't be able to see in heaven. (I know he is beginning to sound very odd, but he's not really). He has asked me to make sure that they don't perform an autopsy on him either ! I think it may sound VERY suspicous if I am standing over his dead body pleading for them not to carry out an autopsy.
I haven't asked him whether or not he would accept someone elses organs.

He has just started giving blood (after many years of trying to persuade him) so maybe all is not lost.

pmsl at the thought of northumbeland begging authorites not to do autopsy with her DH's body in background with large carving knife sticking out...

"but officer, it's what he would have wanted!"

thought hard before answering this,if it helps someone else to survive,if i couldnt survive,then give someone else a chance, i think it would bring comfort,and maybe a part of them could live on,i wish we could have had this choice,instead of leaving nothing

was discussing this with a friend today who didn't see the point- she wants to be a donor. didn't realise her Dh who is against all donation would get the say, she was quite .

His reason btw is that he doesn't beleive the Dr's wait until the person cant feel (doesnt beleive in anaesthetic or brain death either) and they just harvest popple for experiments.

Had to tell him, bullshit

Most reason I get but this one was

peachy its a comman myth unfortunatly. a lot of people disagree as they think docs wont save them, or they wont be completely brain dead.

did u point him to our blog

I think it should be automatic donation.

If I, or a loved one, needed a transplant I would like to think there was one available, similarly, if one of my los was to pass away, I would not hesitate to pass on any organs that were suitable.

I have just recently submitted my organ donation card, and hope that any of my survivors wouldn't go against my wishes to maybe prolong life of somebody else.

And lets face it, if it was automatic donation then there wouldnt be so much suspicion of Doctors not saving patients (for their organs) as there would be a vast supply of organs.

I would have pointed them to your blog but they ahve ahd internet four months and haven't yet worked out how to receive an e-mail LOL (and she's not unintelligent, beofre giving up work to be a carer (her dad has alzheimers she was an OT)

"doesnt beleive in anaesthetic " - is he 6ys old? Like he doesn't beleive in Santa or the tooth fairy?! There are more insane people in the world than I ever realised.

Sorry he's probably your closest friend...

No, his wife is, not the same thing (though he's ok as dh's- of -my-mates go, atleast he didnt run away bankrupt to Tahiland with a postitute LOL)

At the moment, in order to be able to retrieve organs (not tissues)from people who wish to donate after their death, the person in question has to be "brain stem dead". This diagonsis involves a number of standardised tests, all of which have to be conclusive. These tests are performed twice by two senior doctors, usually consultants, who have to agree on the results unequivocably. Any doubt, however small, means that the patient is not brain dead and not suitable for organ donation at that point, and all planned care will continue. If the person is sadly found to be brain dead, then that is recorded as the time of their death (not when they go to theatre for organ retrieval). Family members are counselled before, during and after donation takes place, and they have control over what is/isn't donated. Thus, doctors cannot "give up" on such patients in order to make an easier/quicker route to donation.
Sorry to rant on, but I have seen so many brave families make these decisions under heartbreaking circumstances,and I would never want them to think that the treatment/outcome for their loved one could have been different. A potential organ donor is accorded the same respect and care that would be given to a patient who is being actively treated and expected to make a recovery - they are still someone's son/husband/wife/daughter/parent.