MP calls on Government to adopt an opt-out organ donation system

Local MP Tim Farron has put forward a motion in Parliament calling on England to follow Scotland and Wales to move to an opt-out system of organ donation.

This comes after new figures were released by the NHS which reveal that 457 people died in England last year while waiting for an organ transplant.

Tim said: "I believe that having an opt-out system for organ donation will provide a lifeline for hundreds of patients.

"This is a sensitive issue, and I understand the arguments against but with increasing public support and so many patients in need, I believe it is time that we changed the law and allowed for an opt-out organ donation system."

To sign up to the Organ Donor Register, go to: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-to-donate/

The full wording of Tim's motion is as follows:

That this House notes that there are currently over 6400 people waiting for an organ transplant in the UK; strongly regrets that last year 457 people died unnecessarily while on the active transplant waiting list; further notes that 875 more people had to be removed from the list mainly due to ill health, and that many of these people will have died shortly after being removed; recognises that only one in every hundred people die in circumstances where they could donate, so every potential donor is precious; notes that in England the support of an organ donor's family is needed for a donation to go ahead, even if that person is on the NHS Organ Donor Register; acknowledges that around 63% of families provide authorisations for their loved one's organs to be transplanted, a figure which has changed little over the last few years; regrets the UK has one of the lowest rates of consent in Europe; therefore takes opportunity on Organ Donor Week to strongly encourage individuals who wish to be donors to discuss their wishes with their families as soon as possible; further calls for a consultation on consent in England such as the one that has already been undertaken in Scotland and Wales; urges the Government to ensure that this consultation explores all possible opportunities to increase donations, including an opt-out system such as that which exists in Wales and is planned in Scotland; finally recognises the outstanding generosity of donors and their families, and the contribution they have made towards improving the lives of countless people in need.