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19-01-2009: Political debate from LimeGreen tackles presumed consent
As part of LimeGreen's regular series of current affairs podcasts for our clients doctors.net.uk, this week's discussion between consultant anaesthetist and organ donation task force expert Kevin Dunning, Lib Dem science spokesman Dr Evan Harris and heart transplant patient John Fisher was chaired by Sharon Alcock. It follows a recent decision by the government's task force not to recommend that the UK move to a system which presumes we give consent to donate our organs when we die, unless we actively opt out. Instead, it was preferred that a series of measures, designed to increase the number of us registering our consent to donate organs to help others live, should be pursued instead.
Since 1 April 2008, just 691 people have donated organs in the UK. But those generous people have given 1,960 other people transplants and a second chance at life. There are 7,941 still waiting for a transplant.
It was amazing for us to meet John Fisher, one lucky patient who received a new heart from a 23 year old man who was killed in a road accident. John has run more than seventeen marathons since his transplant in 2000 and set up a charity website raising awareness of the issueswww.heart-transplant.co.uk. His story is only possible, says John, because of the brave decision by his donor and his donor's relatives, whom he has met several times. "I carry a part of him in me and I will always be grateful."
The issue is a thorny one for doctors, who have to discuss with the recently bereaved whether their loved one might want to donate organs. Not least because they also have to preserve the rights of the critically ill and guard against patients believing they might not do everything they can to keep them alive if their organs are needed by others... just one of the accusations made by opponents of presumed consent.
The government has not ruled out changing the system, but will try to improve organ donation rates through a £4.5m public awareness campaign first.
Organ donation information and registration is available at www.uktransplant.org.uk/ukt/default.jsp
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