The National Assembly for Wales has passed a landmark Bill to change the system of organ donation in Wales. Wales will now become the first UK nation to introduce a soft opt-out system of organ donation. A soft opt-out system of organ donation means unless a person states a wish to be a donor (opts in) or not to be a donor (opts out), their consent to donation will be deemed to have been given. The Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill is arguably the most significant piece of legislation passed by the National Assembly for Wales since it acquired additional lawmaking powers in 2011.
Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: "This is a huge day for Wales, for devolution and, most importantly, for the 226 people in Wales waiting for an organ transplant. I am proud that Wales will be the first nation in the UK to take this step. As a society, we have shown we are prepared to take action to increase organ donation and to provide hope to those people waiting every week for a transplant. Family refusal is a major factor that affects the numbers of organ donations and the main reason for refusal is lack of knowledge of their loved one's wishes."
"The family of the potential donor has a major role to play in organ donation. The aim of the Bill has always been to respect the wishes of the deceased, however, relatives or friends of long standing may object to consent being deemed based on what they know about the views of the deceased. When family members know that organ donation is what the deceased would have wanted they usually agree to participate in the donation process. The new law will work by clarifying people's wishes around the issue of organ donation and, in turn, increase the rate of consent to donation.Today is a landmark day for Wales, and I expect the rest of the UK to be watching with great interest when the legislation is implemented in 2015."
Responding to the news Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This is a special and historic moment for a part of the UK that has decided to stand up and make a life-saving change. The Welsh have become the standard bearers and now other UK governments must join them and introduce opt-out legislation of their own. The system, where everyone is considered a donor unless they say otherwise, will help increase the number of available organs and better reflect the wishes of the majority of the UK."
