So I see that Wales voted last night - and in a couple of years time it could well be presumed consent with regards organ donation.
From a personal point of view this cannot come quick enough and I can only hope that England is watching and now considering something similar.
I know there was opposition, although I cannot understand all of it. I appreciate there may well be religious reasons why someone wouldn't donate organs and as someone tolerant of religion I can accept this.
I also understand (for whatever reason) people just don't want to donate. And again I can just about understand this.
However the new bill doesn't change anything for these people. They can still opt-out and the government have said that opting out will be made as easy as possible.
Thankfully those against weren't able to derail the whole bill.
The soft opt-out clause that some wanted would have been a waste of time. Allowing relatives to get involved. Either pass the bill or don't. Don't introduce it and still allow peoples wishes to be overruled.
I also appreciate that research is mixed as to how much benefit there will be from this new bill. However as far as I'm concerned any system that brings more potential organ donation has got to be a good thing. People really don't need them once they are gone and why not give someone else the chance of life or life with better quality?
Maybe I'm pleased in a selfish way. Some here may know that I am an organ recipient - I received a kidney from my wife just over 18 months ago.
So far all has been well and those that have never been on dialysis will never know how much of a difference to my life this transplant made. I was luck in one respect, I had someone willing to donate to me. Many are waiting for one to become available and those people have an average 3-4 year wait. Maybe, just maybe this bill will reduce that wait for some people.
I was also "lucky" in that my failed organ doesn't mean death. I could receive dialysis for the rest of my natural. Some people, waiting for hearts or lungs are not in that position and will simply die without a new organ.
So anyway, a long post about nothing more really than well done the Welsh government and Whitehall - please look, listen and act!
From a personal point of view this cannot come quick enough and I can only hope that England is watching and now considering something similar.
I know there was opposition, although I cannot understand all of it. I appreciate there may well be religious reasons why someone wouldn't donate organs and as someone tolerant of religion I can accept this.
I also understand (for whatever reason) people just don't want to donate. And again I can just about understand this.
However the new bill doesn't change anything for these people. They can still opt-out and the government have said that opting out will be made as easy as possible.
Thankfully those against weren't able to derail the whole bill.
The soft opt-out clause that some wanted would have been a waste of time. Allowing relatives to get involved. Either pass the bill or don't. Don't introduce it and still allow peoples wishes to be overruled.
I also appreciate that research is mixed as to how much benefit there will be from this new bill. However as far as I'm concerned any system that brings more potential organ donation has got to be a good thing. People really don't need them once they are gone and why not give someone else the chance of life or life with better quality?
Maybe I'm pleased in a selfish way. Some here may know that I am an organ recipient - I received a kidney from my wife just over 18 months ago.
So far all has been well and those that have never been on dialysis will never know how much of a difference to my life this transplant made. I was luck in one respect, I had someone willing to donate to me. Many are waiting for one to become available and those people have an average 3-4 year wait. Maybe, just maybe this bill will reduce that wait for some people.
I was also "lucky" in that my failed organ doesn't mean death. I could receive dialysis for the rest of my natural. Some people, waiting for hearts or lungs are not in that position and will simply die without a new organ.
So anyway, a long post about nothing more really than well done the Welsh government and Whitehall - please look, listen and act!