BMJ  2008;336:111 (19 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39462.489132.DB

News

UK government wants to increase number of donated organs

¹ London

A single organ donation organisation for the whole of the United Kingdom should be set up to ease the shortage of donor organs, a government task force has concluded in a report published this week.

More than 8000 people in the UK are currently awaiting organ transplants—primarily kidneys—and the numbers are rising by about 8% every year, according to figures from UK Transplant. Over 1000 people die every year waiting for a transplant.

The report, drawn up by representatives from specialist societies, MPs, and royal colleges, among others, nominates NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) as the most suitable candidate to take on the task.

The move would see a doubling in the numbers (to around 200) of donor transplant coordinators, whose role is to encourage consent to organ donation and support bereaved families through the process.

These coordinators would become part of a centrally coordinated network and would be employed . . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Presumed consent: primum non nocere

R Mohindra
bmj.com, 20 Jan 2008 [Full text]

Time to opt out to turn around transplant chaos

DAVID G SAMUEL
bmj.com, 20 Jan 2008 [Full text]

Better ways to increase organ donations...

stephen black
bmj.com, 24 Jan 2008 [Full text]

Opt out scheme - good but messy

Michael G Peckitt
bmj.com, 28 Jan 2008 [Full text]