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“Thousands of people who desperately need an organ transplant will be given new hope by legislation that comes into force this week,” the Daily Telegraph claimed (31 Aug 06). “The Human Tissue Act, which makes consent its cornerstone, gives added weight to the wishes of the 13.4 million people on the NHS Organ Donor Register, donor cards and others who have agreed to donate.” Relatives will no longer be able to prevent removal of organs.
“Does it matter that organ donors are not dead? Ethical and policy implications” was the title of an article by M. Potts and D. W. Evans, J. Med Ethics 2005: 31; 406-409.
“Much of the information given to the public regarding organ donation and the declaration of death comes though literature in support of people signing organ donor cards. Currently, the statement on organ donor cards asserts that organs may be taken ‘after my death.’ We believe that such wording should be changed to reflect the fact that ‘brain dead’ individuals are not dead on the usual understanding of what death is. Explanatory literature should be frank that a ‘brain dead’ donor’s heart is beating during part of the organ removal surgery.”
Nancy Valko in the USA, commenting on a conference held in Utah in April reported in the Deseret Morning News, said: “Note the new way of using donations after cardiac death involves PUTTING THE PERSON BACK ON LIFE SUPPORT TO LESSEN THE HASTE NECESSARY TO HARVEST THE ORGANS. In older protocols , ethicists emphasised that the ‘irreversibility’ of cardiac death as defined by state laws was met by the decision not to resuscitate the person/donor rather than physical impossibility. Now, it seems that putting a person back on life support doesn’t really count.”
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