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Donor Consent Change in Law

(49 Posts)
SisterAct Sat 16-Mar-19 12:55:05

You will now have to opt out if you don’t want to donate any of your organs. I for one think this law should have been brought in a long time ago and having been asked for consent for a loved one in the past I am thrilled it is in place.

boheminan Sat 16-Mar-19 13:11:51

Totally agreesmile

EllanVannin Sat 16-Mar-19 13:19:32

Not before time !

Gonegirl Sat 16-Mar-19 13:22:29

They are welcome to any of my bits. Don't expect em to last long though.

Jane10 Sat 16-Mar-19 13:34:41

We've recently had a thread about this. Various alternative views were discussed. I'm not going to say more than that.

SisterAct Sat 16-Mar-19 13:37:04

Sorry Jane10 it’s my first post and didn’t know it had been discussed.

boheminan Sat 16-Mar-19 13:51:43

Oh dear...slapped wrist for me toosad

maryeliza54 Sat 16-Mar-19 14:25:04

It’s really unpleasant to say we e had a thread before and try and shut something down. So what if we have ? You don’t need to join in so stop
playing GN royalty - it’s not a good look.

Yes it’s great that opting out will be the legal position - I only know one person who’s had a transplant and she became increasingly ill whilst waiting but fortunately a liver became available in time . I feel a bit odd saying fortunately because I know someone died to give her life. I think it’s wrong though that if you opt out you would still be given an organ if you needed one.

maryeliza54 Sat 16-Mar-19 14:27:18

Do post again Sister don’t be put off

maryeliza54 Sat 16-Mar-19 14:29:08

And its not you who should be apologising Sister

Jane10 Sat 16-Mar-19 14:36:49

Maryeliza54 is that you being the forum police again?
The OP is perfectly entitled to open a thread on the subject just as I'm perfectly entitled to add my comments to it.

maryeliza54 Sat 16-Mar-19 15:07:47

I rather think YOU were being the forum police - or rather GN Royalty. Your post was supercilious and put her down and you didn’t even bother to link to the previous thread.

jura2 Sat 16-Mar-19 15:14:56

SisterAct- I am totally with you on this one- I have been campaigning for the change for many many years. Hurrah.

Still very important to let your family know how you feel, unequivocally. Mine know that they must not wait to be asked, but, in my memory and according to my wishes- offer to the medical team.

I do wonder how many who have witnessed first hand the agony of waiting for a donor for a loved one, especially a child or grandchild- would not be 100% in favour of 'opt out'.

Personally, I'd go further- and as said on previous said, ensure that people who opt in are given priority in the case of several possible recipients with the same 'need profile'.

Izabella Sat 16-Mar-19 16:04:55

Well I cannot actually remember the other thread, but how does anyone opt OUT?

Riverwalk Sat 16-Mar-19 16:04:58

SisterAct don't worry about a topic having already been discussed - that would be the norm.

As for the new law from 2020, whether you allow presumed consent or opt-out, in reality it will make little difference, as your family will still have a say - thank goodness.

I speak as a still-practising nurse who until recently worked on a transplant unit.

Our bodies are not the property of the state, or transplant surgeons, and our next of kin can be a bolster against this.

Jura as for giving priority to those who consent this or that ... I think you know, as the wife of a doctor, that this is just not practical or ethical.

Scribbles Sat 16-Mar-19 16:18:27

Riverwalk, my body doesn't belong to my nearest & dearest, either! I'm delighted the law is changing but simply cannot understand why my relatives should be allowed to over-ride my wish to have my bits and pieces used to help someone else.

Jane10 Sat 16-Mar-19 16:22:15

Thanks maryeliza54 for promoting me to GN royalty! Now you go and polish your prefect's badge!

maryeliza54 Sat 16-Mar-19 16:22:35

www.organdonation.nhs.uk/about-donation/how-the-law-is-changing/

Basically you opt out on the register

maryeliza54 Sat 16-Mar-19 16:25:31

Oh just give it a rest Jane I’m sue I’m not the only one who thinks your post was unnecessary and somewhat entitled - just like royalty in fact ?

Riverwalk Sat 16-Mar-19 16:27:27

Scribbles your relatives won't be allowed to over-ride anything, just have a measured say, as is now the case.

The new law, as far as I understand, won't change a great deal, just a change of emphasis.

In real life, nothing is very clear and sometimes messy - the law of the day is necessarily open to interpretation.

Jane10 Sat 16-Mar-19 16:38:00

maryeliza54 just too easy to wind you up grin

Baggs Sat 16-Mar-19 16:39:43

The idea of state ownership of body parts throws up some interesting thoughts. I rather like the idea of community ownership of things that, after one's death, might benefit other members of one's human community. After all, no individual but the dead person has any entitlement to such ownership, but collective ownership for the benefit of others is, to me, an attractive idea, especially given that so few people get round to being active donors even when they don't disagree in principle.

It's similar to donating blood. According to a statistic I heard recently, only 4% of people who could donate blood actually do so. I find that rather shocking and hope it is incorrect but I think it's just inertia that stops people from offering to be donors, rather than any deep felt objection. I expect that's what has pushed the change of law.

Does anyone know which other countries, if any, have opt out laws in place rather than depending on opting in as we do at present?

Baggs Sat 16-Mar-19 16:43:01

I wonder if in future, new organs will be grown from a person's stem cells making organ donation unnecessary? I saw something just today about growing replacement limbs for amputees. Early stages of research but how great if it ever comes about!

maryeliza54 Sat 16-Mar-19 16:43:26

What a poor loser you are Jane you were mean to a poster and you haven’t the grace to apologise - I rather think its you that’s wound up because I called you out and you know you weren’t very nice. Now why not leave this thread unless you’ve something worth saying on the topic - or am I behaving like royalty saying that?

Riverwalk Sat 16-Mar-19 16:53:34

I rather like the idea of community ownership of things that, after one's death, might benefit other members of one's human community. After all, no individual but the dead person has any entitlement to such ownership, but collective ownership for the benefit of others ......

All rather romantic and ethereal Baggs - you do realize that when organs are removed the person is not actually dead? If it were so, all would be so very easy.