Consultation opens today on the private members bill on organ donation, which Martyn Perkins MHK was given leave to introduce by the House of Keys on 31 October 2017. 

Currently, around 12,600 island residents are registered on the UK NHS Organ Donor Register. Many people have made the generous gift of their organs and tissue to help someone else in the event of their death, but despite many people registering there is still a shortage of donors.

The Bill proposes a change to a ‘presumed consent’ system, also known as an ‘opt-out’ system. This means that unless the deceased has expressed a wish in life not to be an organ donor then consent will be assumed. This change is intended to help the system better reflect the position of the majority of people who would be happy to donate their organs and tissue when they die. It will also respect the decisions of those who do not wish to be donors. 

The consultation asks Island residents about recording a decision to be an organ donor, individual and family consent, impacts on equalities groups, exceptions and safeguarding. The Bill does not include donations from living donors (e.g. kidney donation) – it is solely about organs donated by people once they are deceased. 

Martyn Perkins said ‘following conversations with healthcare professionals, the family members of donors, transplant patients and members of the public I have brought forward draft legislation about introducing a ‘presumed consent’ system for organ donation for discussion. The donation of organs and tissue after death helps to save many lives each year and is life-changing for the recipients. I’d like to hear from Manx residents about their views on changing to an opt-out system’

You can see the draft legislation and access the consultation online at https://consult.gov.im. The consultation opens on 29 March and runs until 8 June.  

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For further information contact:
Clerk of Tynwald’s Office
Telephone: 01624 685500
Email: enquiries@tynwald.org            
Website: www.tynwald.org.im