Organ Donation

EDM number 882 in 2008-09, proposed by Jeremy Browne on 25/02/2009.
Categorised under the topic of Health services.

That this House welcomes the recent doubling of the number of registered organ donors to 16 million, but is concerned that this still only constitutes 26 per cent. of the population; is encouraged by research from UK Transplant, which indicates up to 90 per cent. of the population are supportive of organ donation, but is worried that this is not reflected in current donation levels; notes that in the period of April 2008 to February 2009 2,278 people received transplants but 7,875 are still on the waiting list; further notes that 1,000 people a year die whilst waiting for a transplant; supports the right of each individual to refuse to donate their organs after death and to have that wish respected; believes that the best means of respecting those wishes and increasing the number of lives that could be saved by organ donation is to presume consent through an opt-out system; stresses that such an opt-out system would be founded on stringent safeguards including the exclusion of under 18s and respect for the family's wishes as advocated by the Organ Donation (Presumed Consent) Bill; hopes that the Bill will provide a means to increase awareness and debate surrounding organ donation, including in schools and homes across the country; urges all hon. and right hon. Members to support the Bill at its Second Reading on 13 March 2009; and in the meantime encourages all UK citizens to sign up for the NHS Organ Donation Register.

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.