Spain beats own record for organ transplants

More people than ever are giving the gift of life. “We also hear that some families have gone on to regret overriding a relative’s decision to donate”, she added.In statement, the organization said the 30,000 mark was passed in mid-December and a total of 30,973 transplants were performed past year.The NHS needs to continue its admirable work to drive up organ donation by better understanding what makes British families say no to donation and work to change the discussions that are happening in society at large, not just those within a hospital setting.During 2015, donations by deceased African-Americans and Hispanics grew by 16.3% and 13.6%, respectively, compared with the previous year. From now on, families of registered donors will no longer be asked for their consent but will instead be told they can object and how to do so.Their decisions meant 1,200 patients were denied transplants, says NHS Blood and Transport (NHSBT).We hope that by raising this issue we will prompt more families to talk about donation and reduce the number of families overriding their relative’s decision to donate…And if they do want to object, they must now do so in writing, providing their reasons.Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said that the agency is taking the tougher approach, but defended it by saying that it is the honest way. The NHS Organ Donor register, established in 1994, is a confidential, computerized database that records the wishes of people who have decided that, after their death, they want to leave a legacy of life for others.As devastating as the death of a loved one is, does deep grief and shock mean that the feelings of a family should be given priority over the wishes of the person who has died? “These trends are encouraging, and they make a huge difference not only for transplant recipients but for many more people whose lives they touch”. However, although welcome, these measures will still allow the wishes of the family to override that of the deceased.‘We urgently need to introduce the soft opt out system for organ donation across the United Kingdom to increase the number of available organs and help save more lives’.

Source: Spain beats own record for organ transplants – HueWire

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