From today, organ donation in England has moved to an ‘opt out’ system. This means that all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate.
Anyone under the age of 18, those who lack the mental capacity to understand the new arrangements and take the necessary action; people who have lived in England for less than 12 months; those who are not living here voluntarily and those who have nominated someone else to make the decision on their behalf will be excluded from the new ruling.
Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation said: “We are very pleased that Max and Keira’s Law has passed its final round of parliamentary approval and we welcome the new legislation,
“It is important that people know they will still have a choice whether or not to donate. Families will still be consulted and people’s faith, beliefs and culture will continue to be respected.
“We hope this law change will prompt all of us to consider whether or not we would want to donate our organs and encourage us all to register and share our decision with our family and friends.
“We want people to know that there is no deadline to making your donation decision, you can register your choice at any time.
“Very few people die in the circumstances where organ donation is possible and currently, even fewer donations and transplants are taking place.
“While transplants continue to happen, organ donation will not go ahead, if a potential donor in known to have, or suspected of having, COVID-19. We continue to work closely with transplant centres who are considering re-opening their programmes in a phased return to normal.”
Why has the law changed?
The law has been changed to help save and improve more lives. Every day across the UK, someone dies waiting for a transplant.
What do I have to do?
We are asking everyone to:
- Record your organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register
- Tell your family and friends what you have decided
Who will the changes affect?
These changes will affect all adults in England unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the following excluded groups:
- Those under the age of 18
- People who lack the mental capacity to understand the new arrangements and take the necessary action
- Visitors to England, and those not living here voluntarily
- People who have lived in England for less than 12 months before their death
If you don’t want to donate, it’s really quick and simple to record your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
