New Opt Out Organ Donation System comes into effect today

[Al1Langdownthecleghole]

I've just gone on to register my wishes, (link below if anyone else wants to do likewise).

I was concerned that under the new regulations requiring you to opt-out of becoming a transplant donor, it would not be possible to specifically opt-out of donating my reproductive organs.

In fact, if you opt to only donate some of your organs and select the ones you are happy to be used, reproductive organs are not listed as a choice, although "tissue" is, and I do wonder how widely tissue could be interpreted.

For now, I am choosing to opt-out of donating tissue, but would be willing to donate the other organs specifically listed.

Sadly, there is the inevitable question about gender. Even when talking about cadaver transplants, it would seem gender trumps biology.

www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/register-your-details/?

Very interesting thread

Ive always carried a donor (took me three goes to spell that...its early) card But the big business aspect of this didn’t occur to me

Very different things, as they have nothing to do with receiving treatment.

Certainly, with smoking, the idea is that the taxes collected offset the additional burden on the NHS. I don't have the statistics on the sugar tax to hand but I'd be surprised if it were currently high enough to offer the same. Personally, I'd support raising them further to the point where the cost is covered but I recognise the calculations are much more complex than for smoking.

I have carried a donor card for many years, but want to be able to choose which organs to donate and which not to. As this is not possible with the new system, I have opted out.

Covidicus The point she stressed the most was that her colleagues make life and death decisions based on organ donation status. I won't post here the inflammatory language she used, but you get the picture. She also saw bewildered families strongly encouraged to make organ donation decisions without having full information. She saw slow, painful deaths for the sake of keeping organs viable.

I think that people who make stupid comments like that just haven’t thought about how it would affect them and their loved ones...they lack empathy

Alternatively, they could have watched a loved one die while waiting for an organ. Though they'd have no way to know if the person ahead of their loved one in the queue was a registered donor or not, it could still be an unpleasantly compelling thought.

Alternatively, they could have watched a loved one die while waiting for an organ

That would be the first thing they posted...

This thread is mad. You'd rather risk someone dying without a heart transplant to avoid the extremely unlikely event of somebody born male being given reproductive organs. I question self ID, but not to the point of hurting people.

^This. I’m an organ donor and a stupid question of what is your gender isn’t going to make me go off in a huff with my organs and let other people die.

Plus having suffered a personal loss doesnt mean that someone has empathy for other viewpoints

I don't see why people who choose to opt out of organ donation should be allowed to change their minds or be eligible to be a recipient themselves later, should circumstances change

I think organs should always be used in accordance with quality of match and clinical need.

I think similar for all other forms of medical treatment. It must always be by needs, not whether the recipient is deemed ‘worthy’

I’m dithering about opting out, just in case I’m left nearly dead in tempting circumstances. But I’m assuming from posts above there is no option to specify why not?

Because my reason is that no part of my body is suitable for transplant, and I don’t want people to waste their time with their hopes up.

The point she stressed the most was that her colleagues make life and death decisions based on organ donation status

I once listened to a guy on the radio, who was in his 40s, who'd ended up in a coma for some reason I don't remember. His family was put under immense pressure to 'let him go' (and let them harvest his healthy organs). They refused, and very quickly he woke up and made a full recovery (this was a while ago, I don't remember the details, but he was at deaths door, and now he's fine)

He was entirely against this kind of presumed organ donation because of this experience (understandably). Also against the idea of taking organs from people who aren't actually dead, but vegetative (I hate that word for people, is there a better one?).

“Women unsurprisingly do not want their genetic material harvested. This is a massive human rights issue”

If you’ve ever had a blood test done, your “genetic material” has been harvested. They don’t need an ovum to clone you or study your DNA or match your DNA to a crime scene or a relative.

That would be the first thing they posted.

Someone who's suffered a painful loss, possibly even of their child, would always be happy sharing that information?

Plus having suffered a personal loss doesnt mean that someone has empathy for other viewpoints

It's possible that, from their point of view, those who refuse organ donation on the principle of 'it should be a gift' or not liking the use of the word gender in the form don't have much empathy either.

Personally, I'm not angry with people who opt out, I'm disappointed that they don't share my views and saddened by the lives it will cost but I'd rather live in a world where they're free to have their own.

I have watched my sister die waiting for an organ that never came.

Organs should only be given on the ground of clinical need. Nothing else is relevant. They aren’t some kind of prize for good behaviour.

I don’t necessarily feel comfortable with opt out, but understand why it has come about (see first sentence of my post).

But I feel far more uncomfortable about people using this to score gender issue points.

I’ve opted out because I don’t like the idea of my eggs being harvested and used to create children that I’ll never meet. Or even worse, being used to create embryos for experimentation. In fact I don’t like the idea of any of my reproductive organs being used. If there was an opt-out for reproductive tissue then I’d be happy to donate everything else. But under the current circumstances my only option is to opt out completely.

Has anyone read the immortal life of Henrietta lacks?

I can really recommend it. A real world example of the ethical shades of grey surrounding consent and ownership of our tissues/cells/DNA

(And a heartbreaking human story too)

gronky

Ive just rechecked my post

I was agreeing with banana that this comment was stupid and showed lack of empathy Next it will be saying that people who do something else that affects their OWN health, such as being overweight, smoking or taking part in dangerous sports, shouldn’t receive treatment

The organ bit i felt was a stupid comment as it could be extrapolated out to mean blood donation etc

So wasn’t referring to empathy though I didn’t make that clear

Then i felt the urge to defend something I didn’t mean

It's concerning there's no opt out for reproductive tissue.

I've always been an organ donor and want to continue to be one, but I'm not happy having my reproductive system transplanted or my eggs being used.

Sorry to hear that matilda 💐

I was agreeing with banana that this comment was stupid and showed lack of empathy

Next it will be saying that people who do something else that affects their OWN health, such as being overweight, smoking or taking part in dangerous sports, shouldn’t receive treatment

Could you explain who I’m showing a lack of empathy towards?

Opt out is a headline grabber and nothing more.Your next of kin still have the final say

Throughout life we fight for bodily autonomy but it seems that we wish our bodies to just become the property of the state when we die rather than those who know us best and who will be personally suffering the loss being able to make those decisions on our behalf?

As for the argument that if you wouldn’t donate your organs then you shouldn’t be allowed to receive one,that is purely an emotive argument and has no intelligent basis what so ever.

You are far more likely to need an organ than to be in a position to be a donor.

Organ donation is a gift,it should never be seen as an entitlement and neither should our bodies be viewed as commodities.

I need a heart transplant.I’m currently well enough not to be on the list but have been told that I will likely deteriorate in the next year (although am hoping that doesn’t happen,obviously). But this time last year I was actually told that I wasn’t eligible for a transplant and would be sent home to die (not the exact wording, but the implication was very clear). And it may still happen that I’m not eligible (have had some interim procedures which have improved my quality somewhat but there’s always a way back if you get my drift.). I am not under any illusions. I know full well I might ultimately not be suitable for a transplant,or that a donor heart won’t be found in time. That doesn’t mean that other people should be coerced into having their organs removed.

The idea that in order to receive an organ you are waiting,and therefore hoping for someone to die is not a comfortable one.If you add into the mix that you could therefore also be assured that the next person who dies is essentially yours for the taking because the state has decreed that it should be that way then the whole idea of donation has been lost. In fact,if the state simply has the right to your organs then it’s not a donation is it?

The ultimate key to more donors is more conversation around speaking to families,making your wishes known before you’re in a position where they have to make those decisions on your behalf.

There is very little evidence that opt out actually increases the number of organs available,in fact in countries such as Spain which is often upheld of a prime example of opt-out working these figures have only increased since more emphasis has been placed on conversations with next of kin.

Oh and if you want your wishes re organ donation to be carried out then you need to have an advance directive and appoint a legal power of attorney.

The people I know who are very vociferous in support on presumed consent, and organ donation in general, have lost loved ones and are therefore very attached to the idea of organ donation as something which gave meaning and purpose to deaths which was otherwise incomprehensibly cruel and difficult. I hold no animosity towards them.

However, I have always been personally opposed to presumed consent, as I actually think the gift aspect of organ donation is the saving grace in a system which would otherwise be appalling utilitarianism. Therefore, regardless of specifics about organs, I have opted out because I fundamentally object to automatic state ownership of dead bodies and the affront to the dignity of human beings by reducing us to spare parts.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer, sorry for the misunderstanding on my end.

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies, I'm extremely sorry if you got the impression I was speaking on behalf of all people who'd watched a loved one die awaiting an organ and I'm very sorry for your loss. I was speculating why someone might feel that way, not that every person who's suffered a loss would feel that way.

It's concerning there's no opt out for reproductive tissue.

I keep reading this but it seems from the screenshots that you're opting in on specific organs, meaning you'd be opting out on reproductive tissue by default. I can't check the site specifically in that way because I don't want to opt out on anything.

I’m presuming there is no opt out for reproductive tissue because reproductive transplants are not actually a thing, even if they might become such in the future.

Im agreeing with you aren’t I totally

I thought you were saying that people who say that you have to donate to receive are leading the way to saying that people who smoke or are overweight shouldn’t receive treatment...which is stupid

See And the whole ‘no organs For you unless you are prepared To donate’ is another....its not a hop skip and a jump to ‘ no blood for you unless you donate’