Organ Donor Question for Driving Licence Applicants
Would-be drivers will be asked if they want to join NHS organ donor register as part of a pilot scheme.
A special box for transporting human organs. Only 27% of people in the UK are registered donors. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian
People applying for a driving licence from July will be required to answer a question about organ donation in a government scheme aimed at boosting the number of donors. Under the current system, applicants can skip over a donation question when applying for a driving licence. The new regime, however, will require that they opt to either register for donation, state that they have already signed up or state: "I do not want to answer this question now.
"Only 27% of people in the UK are registered donors, although studies have shown that a far larger proportion are in favour of donating body parts. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which is responsible for organ transplants, last month reported a record high of 3,706 transplants in the UK last year, a 5% rise over the previous year and part of a steady increase since 2000. The year also saw a 7% increase in the number of deceased organ donors, reaching a record high of 959, and a 10% rise in the number of living donors to 1,061.In 2008, the Organ Donation Taskforce at the NHS recommended aiming for a 50% increase in donation rates by 2013. Since then, deceased donation has increased by 19% and the overall donation rate for the UK has risen to 15.5 per million of the population, from 13.1. Despite the rise in donations, demand for organs outstrips supply – 8,000 people are waiting for a transplant and 1,000 people die each year while waiting for one.
"Surveys show that a large number of people in the UK are happy to donate their organs for transplantation but haven't got round to registering," said the public health minister Anne Milton. "We hope that by prompting people into making a decision we can encourage more people to register. We also need people to think and talk about organ donation with their families so people know what family members want. Being an organ donor is a truly selfless act and is the ultimate gift anyone could give. "Prompted choice schemes in the US have increased donor registrations. In Illinois, for example, donor rates have risen from 38% to 60% of the population.
Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said the prompted choice trial with DVLA online applications was welcome. "With three people dying every day in the UK in need of an organ transplant, NHSBT's focus is on encouraging even more people to join the NHS organ donor register (ODR)," she said. "A recent survey showed that 90% of people support organ donation, yet only 29% have joined the ODR. This trial will prompt everyone applying for or renewing their driving licence to take the positive step and sign up to the ODR. "Anyone signing up is urged to discuss their wishes with family and friends to ensure they can confirm their wishes when the time comes.
"The DVLA scheme comes amid debate in the UK about the introduction of presumed consent, where all people are assumed to be willing to donate their organs unless they specifically choose to opt out. Last month the doctors' union, the British Medical Association, renewed its call for further debate on an opt-out system, while the British Heart Foundation said such a scheme would transform the number of available organs in one fell swoop.In April, medical experts put forward a number of suggestions to tackle the shortage of organs and other tissues that are available for transplant operations, including kidneys, hearts and skin. The radical ideas, which included offering funeral expenses for organ donors, emerged in a consultation by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which canvasses opinion from the public and professionals on different incentives. The independent body will also look at the consequences of opening a free market on organs, which could be openly sold and traded.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/dec/31/organ-donation-register-driving-licences<figcaption> </figcaption>
Would-be drivers will be asked if they want to join NHS organ donor register as part of a pilot scheme.
A special box for transporting human organs. Only 27% of people in the UK are registered donors. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian
People applying for a driving licence from July will be required to answer a question about organ donation in a government scheme aimed at boosting the number of donors. Under the current system, applicants can skip over a donation question when applying for a driving licence. The new regime, however, will require that they opt to either register for donation, state that they have already signed up or state: "I do not want to answer this question now.
"Only 27% of people in the UK are registered donors, although studies have shown that a far larger proportion are in favour of donating body parts. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which is responsible for organ transplants, last month reported a record high of 3,706 transplants in the UK last year, a 5% rise over the previous year and part of a steady increase since 2000. The year also saw a 7% increase in the number of deceased organ donors, reaching a record high of 959, and a 10% rise in the number of living donors to 1,061.In 2008, the Organ Donation Taskforce at the NHS recommended aiming for a 50% increase in donation rates by 2013. Since then, deceased donation has increased by 19% and the overall donation rate for the UK has risen to 15.5 per million of the population, from 13.1. Despite the rise in donations, demand for organs outstrips supply – 8,000 people are waiting for a transplant and 1,000 people die each year while waiting for one.
"Surveys show that a large number of people in the UK are happy to donate their organs for transplantation but haven't got round to registering," said the public health minister Anne Milton. "We hope that by prompting people into making a decision we can encourage more people to register. We also need people to think and talk about organ donation with their families so people know what family members want. Being an organ donor is a truly selfless act and is the ultimate gift anyone could give. "Prompted choice schemes in the US have increased donor registrations. In Illinois, for example, donor rates have risen from 38% to 60% of the population.
Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said the prompted choice trial with DVLA online applications was welcome. "With three people dying every day in the UK in need of an organ transplant, NHSBT's focus is on encouraging even more people to join the NHS organ donor register (ODR)," she said. "A recent survey showed that 90% of people support organ donation, yet only 29% have joined the ODR. This trial will prompt everyone applying for or renewing their driving licence to take the positive step and sign up to the ODR. "Anyone signing up is urged to discuss their wishes with family and friends to ensure they can confirm their wishes when the time comes.
"The DVLA scheme comes amid debate in the UK about the introduction of presumed consent, where all people are assumed to be willing to donate their organs unless they specifically choose to opt out. Last month the doctors' union, the British Medical Association, renewed its call for further debate on an opt-out system, while the British Heart Foundation said such a scheme would transform the number of available organs in one fell swoop.In April, medical experts put forward a number of suggestions to tackle the shortage of organs and other tissues that are available for transplant operations, including kidneys, hearts and skin. The radical ideas, which included offering funeral expenses for organ donors, emerged in a consultation by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which canvasses opinion from the public and professionals on different incentives. The independent body will also look at the consequences of opening a free market on organs, which could be openly sold and traded.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/dec/31/organ-donation-register-driving-licences<figcaption> </figcaption>
