Increase in British Organ Donation
by Raina Jain
Posted on April 17, 2013
Since 2008, there has been a significant increase in British posthumous organ donation- 50 percent since 2008. In 2012, around 800 Britons donated their organs; the number rose to 1200 donors in 2012.
Although the rise is a positive sign for the future, Britain still has one of the lowest organ donor populations. Approximately 1000 patients die annually waiting on the transplant list.
Physicians are calling for a legal change in organ donation, where each individual would be considered an organ donor unless they specify otherwise. Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, director of professional activities at the British Medical Association, believes that the opt-out system would significantly increase donation and save more lives- every donor can potentially help up to 9 recipients.
There are growing concerns that families are overruling patients’ wishes for organ donation- 125 cases were noted last year where relatives’ wishes overrode the patients’ wishes to donate. Legally, families are not allowed to object, but physicians often unofficially allow the change to avoid conflict.
The increase in donors has been attributed to the hiring of specialist nurses who converse with bereaved families about the patients’ organs. However, Britain’s rate of donations is still extremely low relative to the rest of the European continent.
