Organ Donation

http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/ThisMorning/Health/OrganDonation/default.html

So now they are thinking of doing away with the donor cards and every adult will be included for organ donation.

Any thoughts?

I think it is a good idea. A lot of people are either noncommital or not bothered either way by the idea of organ donation. Why not use their organs at death? Furthermore, if people feel strongly enough not to do it then they can still opt out. I personally feel it is a great idea!

I think an opt out is far better than an opt in.

Yes good idea. Personally id opt out but id be given the option to do that so this scheme gets the thumbs up from me.

I think anything that encourages people to discuss this when they are alive and able to give their consent is much more positive than the current system.

When my mother in law died, the hospital nearly fell over with surprise when we asked to talk to someone about donation. The staff are so scared of offending the bereaved families that they don't like to raise the topic so a lot of opportunities are missed.

We need to get these things more out in the open. The moment we saw Ma on the life support machine we both knew she wasn't there any more and that all that was left was a shell. This is the ultimate form of recycling and knowing that the hospital had taken what they could was a really big comfort to us both - and to the 50+ people who were helped. And that was with only very limited harvesting allowed due to her age - e.g. corneas, skin and bone sections.

People have the idea that the hospital staff are hovering just waiting to 'pounce' and steal the body. It's jut not like that. The entire south of England has only three transplant coordinators to cover an enormous area.

Wormy, why would you opt out? Religious, ethical or some other sort of reason?

I would happily give up my organs on my death and carry a card now. I have told my husband and sister, mum etc that this is what I would like. I'd rather not give my eyes though for some reason - just don't feel comfortable with that.

I think opting out is the best way forward although this could lead to some uncomfortable situations where medical staff say the dead person had not opted out but the family didn't want the organs to be used. Not sure how they could go ahead with this scenario?

koshkha wrote:

Wormy, why would you opt out? Religious, ethical or some other sort of reason?

I want my body to be left and remain intact. I dont like the thought of being 'stripped' so to speak of anything useful.

That said I think its a very good scheme.

I havent opted in...out of sheer laziness I guess rather than anything else..

I dont necessarily agree with an opt out system though...not for any particular reason, other than it just feels wrong

funny how we dont discuss these things until death though. My mum died recently, and then my sisters and i talked about (for the first time, and we are all late 30s) whether we wanted a burial, cremation etc and how we might want the service to be in the event of our deaths - having had to organise one. So I can see why hospitals would be scared of approaching families, as perhaps those families dont even know.

I think that people should get an opt out option when they get their national insurance card/number. Before that, its the parents choice. After that, its the adults choice to opt out.

At the very least, it would mean that the people who don't bother to register (like me) but have no real objections (like me) would not slip through the net.

drewboy wrote:

At the very least, it would mean that the people who don't bother to register (like me) but have no real objections (like me) would not slip through the net.

Sounds familiar!

me too

it doesnt feel quite right though.

like...if you dont opt out, then we carve out your organs anyway

something wrong with that picture.

With respect Helen, those organs won't be much use to you when you've gone.

The hospitals can have everything they want from me - but I draw the line at having my cadaver used by medical students and that's only because I knew too many of them when I was younger and don't think they respect the bodies sufficiently.

koshkha wrote:

- but I draw the line at having my cadaver used by medical students .

oh, I don't think I would want that either. They can take what they want from me otherwise and then cremate me. There wuill be nothing left after that so it makes sense to take what can be useful first.

If this is the way things are going then I will be opting out.

My reason being this, I look at it as if it was my son, Jason or any other member of my family, if they had died, I for pure selfish reasons would want time with them to say goodbye and be with them; I would not like to think that my time would be limited because they want body parts.

I know it's a selfish view point but thats the way I feel, and I also think there is something wrong with this like Helen said.

I whole-heartedly support the proposal and think that we should always focus on the living first and foremost.

I went to a service at Southwark Cathedral for the families of those who'd donated and the organ recipients and their families. For me the only positive thing to come out of my mother in laws death was knowing that so many other people benefited.

No organ transplant team would push the bereaved family away from the bed to get to the organs - it just doesn't happen like that.

I think its a very personal choice. One things for sure, we would have a very many more willing donors which can only be a good thing.

On a related topic, I think it completely wrong George Best was given a new liver after ruining his own by way of alcoholism.

It's even more crazy they named an airport after him.
But I think I'm too young (don't get to say that very often) to understand the mystique he held for the British public.