Organ donor system "presumed consent"

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"Government advisers have recommended a radical overhaul of the UK organ donor network in a bid to double the number of organs available for transplant.

By recruiting twice as many transplant coordinators and creating 24-hour organ retrieval teams they hope to emulate Spain's successful model.

A system of "presumed consent" in which everyone is a potential donor unless they opt out is also being considered. "

Source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7183559.stm

Gordon Brown supports the removal of organs without consent.
 
Soldato
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Probably for the best. If you feel so strongly against it you can just opt out. I just hope they make the process as easy as possible so they don't deter people with loads of red-tape The only problem with the system is actually making people aware that's how it's going to work.

I can see why people are against their organs being harvested for spare parts (to put it bluntly :p) but they're just going to bloody rot away. You may as well put them to good use and save/improve someone's life.
 
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good idea, what good are your organs gonna do when your dead just sittin there..might as well be used to help others
 
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Works for me, provided the opt out is easy, clearly available and well publicised.

It's also worth remembering that implicit consent is not without consent, provided the above applies to the method of withdrawing consent.
 
Soldato
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Cue the paranoid people hiding from "organ hunter" government types :p

Imagine, with all the DNA scanning etc nowadays, people with tissue matches will be catalogued, so lets say a high up MP needs some new kidneys, they'll send the boys round to swipe em from you in your sleep ;)
 
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Gordon Brown supports the removal of organs without consent.

so do i
if we follow the system of 'opt out' donation, it will still give the chance for people who do not want to donate, be it for religious or other reasons, to ensure they did not 'have their organs removed'
i see no reason for this system not to be introduced - it will save many hundreds, if not thousands of lives
for once i agree with gordon brown
 
Soldato
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so do i
if we follow the system of 'opt out' donation, it will still give the chance for people who do not want to donate, be it for religious or other reasons, to ensure they did not 'have their organs removed'
i see no reason for this system not to be introduced - it will save many hundreds, if not thousands of lives
for once i agree with gordon brown

I agree with 100% of that :)
 
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Sounds like a very sensible idea!

I'd imagine that most organs come from young people in accidents, the same people who very rarely consider their own death seriously and are less likely to have signed upto a donor scheme.

I want my organs to goto someone else when i die. However i'm not to sure i'd be happy about them going to any medical students/studies, i've heard too many stories about all the messing around they do with the bits!
 
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"Government advisers have recommended a radical overhaul of the UK organ donor network in a bid to double the number of organs available for transplant.

By recruiting twice as many transplant coordinators and creating 24-hour organ retrieval teams they hope to emulate Spain's successful model.

A system of "presumed consent" in which everyone is a potential donor unless they opt out is also being considered. "

Source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7183559.stm

Gordon Brown supports the removal of organs without consent.

Excellent.

I can't understand people who refuse to give consent for organ donorship. They're no use to you when you're dead, so why not share 'em around?

My father's corneas were donated after his death, and used to give sight to a woman who was virtually blind. Why deny people the opportunity of a better life just because you want to enter the grave intact? It's nothing but a hangover from primitive superstition.
 
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One issue I haven't seen mentioned much yet is that currently, you occasionally get a situation where relatives aren't actually aware that their deceased relative was actually a registered organ donor! (even though in theory they should be). This obviously can cause great surprise and distress, so by changing to an opt-out system it would eliminate this.

I do expect some controversy in to arise if this is introduced though, in terms of someone who has opted-out having their organs used by mistake. It's probably not the sort of thing many people would choose to publicise to avoid coming off as being selfish.
 
Soldato
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so do i
if we follow the system of 'opt out' donation, it will still give the chance for people who do not want to donate, be it for religious or other reasons, to ensure they did not 'have their organs removed'
i see no reason for this system not to be introduced - it will save many hundreds, if not thousands of lives
for once i agree with gordon brown

I think that whoever opts out of using their dying or dead family member's healthy organs should be barred from having a transplant, if their -respectable- reasons forbid them from giving a transplant it obviously means they shouldn't be getting one and dying for their beliefs. Now of course you can say that the decision not to use donate the organs can come from the dying himself, but unless they actually state it on their will or whatever (which as far as I know doesn't upon until a few days after the death of the author).
 
Caporegime
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I'm all for an 'opt out' system. Once you're dead they're not your organs anyway.

However, if we're going to stick with an 'opt in' system; I'd like to see it strengthened, you should be able to easily and bindingly 'opt in' during your lifetime rather than having your relatives asked when you've just copped it.
 
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I'm not sure how I feel about the state effectively claiming ownership of my body after I die.
I'm not against donation and I think it should be encouraged strongly but I don't like they way they are going about it. If it was practical I would be much happier if it was compulsory that you answered the question. Yes or no. I wouldn't be surprised if most people said yes, but I dislike the presumption.

I don't have a donor card but my parents and fiancée know what I would like if anything happened.
 
Soldato
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Probably for the best. If you feel so strongly against it you can just opt out.

Just to make this issue very clear for all the others that will likely take your viewpoint...

I disagree with others PRESUMING my consent. They have no authority over my internal organs, therefore I have no moral or spiritual reason to have contact with them in any way.

Remember, just because YOU think its a good thing - there's no excuse to remove consent from others. If more organs are needed, spend the money on advertising and campaign.

Also, what if this were the thin end of the wedge? What other parts of my body might go to 'scientific causes' on what grounds?
 
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