§ 27. Sir Michael McNair-WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the current results of the organ donor scheme.
§ Mr. DorrellThe best measure of the effectiveness of the organ donor scheme is the number of transplants performed. According to information provided by the United Kingdom transplant support service the number of transplants, including corneas, performed in the United Kingdom in 1990 was 4,938. This represents an 11 per cent. increase over 1989.
Further expansion of the transplant programme, to which this Government are committed, depends entirely on the availability of donor organs. We warmly welcome the "Transplants in Mind" initiative being taken this year by voluntary organisations, with the support of the Department of Health, to raise public awareness. It is very important that everyone is aware both of the success of organ transplantation and of the need to make a positive decision, involving the family, about becoming a donor.