The Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill
Statement by Kidney Wales on Bill and Vote in favour in Assembly
Call To Form New Implementation Group
Kidney Wales Foundation supports the Assembly Members and Welsh Government and the diligent scrutiny of the new Organ Donation Bill known as The Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill today.
In welcoming the overall vote in favour for the new Organ Donation Bill, Roy J Thomas of Kidney Wales stated that the Welsh Government should work with and form a new Organ Donation Transplant Implementation Group which would have a new communications role.
He said “It is clear that existing system on organ donation in the UK is not working. Welsh Government is taking on board the views of everyone in implementing new legislation in Wales for “deemed consent. It is a task which requires everyone to play a part in saving lives.”
He added “There are clearly concerns but the principle of saving lives is the essence of this cultural shift .The Government needs to work with a wider partnership to deliver a substantial increase in donors and this would be a further progressive step forward. Governments are not always best placed to bring consensus due to political allegiances. However, those against the Bill seem to have not taken on board all the evidence and matters can be improved.”
Kidney Wales Foundation gave examples such as:
•Delivering a new dedicated transplant infrastructure for Wales and promoting organ donation coordinators and their work;
•Consulting persons of 16 and older in schools and colleges and working with students in Universities and Colleges;
•Promoting the role of the family in discussing organ donation by communication and campaigns; and a
• meaningful discussions with BME Groups and seeking case studies of donor and recipient families in all cases.
NOTES
In the early years Kidney Wales pointed to the evidence of Abadie and Gay of Harvard and Chicago Universities (2005) who conducted a study to examine this across 22 countries who have introduced presumed consent systems over a 10 year period. The study found that presumed consent had a positive and sizeable effect on organ donation rates of some 25%-35% higher on average in presumed consent countries.
A number of countries have dramatically increased their donation rates following the introduction of soft opt out systems of organ donation. Belgium, for example, which offers a model which can most easily be compared to Wales and the UK, went from 18.9 per million population to 41.3pmp three years after the introduction of opt out legislation. Countries which have introduced ‘’hard’ forms of presumed consent have also seen major changes. Austria went from 4.6 pmp to 27.2pmp after five years of presumed consent and Singapore from 4.7pmp to 31.3pmp three years after its introduction.The Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill
Statement by Kidney Wales on Bill and Vote in favour in Assembly
Call To Form New Implementation Group
Kidney Wales Foundation supports the Assembly Members and Welsh Government and the diligent scrutiny of the new Organ Donation Bill known as The Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill today.
In welcoming the overall vote in favour for the new Organ Donation Bill, Roy J Thomas of Kidney Wales stated that the Welsh Government should work with and form a new Organ Donation Transplant Implementation Group which would have a new communications role.
He said