References
Implementing a legislation change in organ and tissue donation in England
Organ and tissue donation are modern medicine's success stories, helping to save and improve the lives of many people. Yet, with more than 6000 people on the UK transplant waiting list for a solid organ (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas etc) (NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), 2019) (Figure 1) and around 400 people dying every year while waiting for an organ, England has decided to join other countries worldwide in the implementation of a law change regarding organ and tissue donation.
Nearly 25 million people have signed the Organ Donation Register (Jones et al, 2019) to declare that they have decided to be an organ and/or tissue donor in the event of their death. However, there are not enough organs to meet the demand required for transplant (Figure 1). Solid organ donation can only happen in a small number of cases. Only 1 in 100 people dies in circumstances where their organs can be donated (NHSBT, 2020). Organ donation occurs mainly in circumstances of sudden and unexpected death from individuals receiving care on an intensive care unit or in an emergency department. Some people who have previously recorded a decision on the Organ Donation Register indicating that they wish to donate have their decision overruled by family members who are unsure of what their loved one would want or find it difficult to contemplate donation at the time of the death.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting British Journal of Nursing and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for nurses. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Limited access to clinical or professional articles
-
Unlimited access to the latest news, blogs and video content