§ Dr. Richard TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS staff who may be in charge of a hospital ward are fully aware of procedures for arranging for donation of organs for transplantation. [36445]
§ Jacqui SmithThe consultation document "Organ and Tissue Donation" published in February 2001 announced planned improvements in transplants services with the overall aim to increase organ donation levels in the United Kingdom by meeting challenging targets by 2005. UK Transplant is supporting a number of initiatives across the United Kingdom to increase the numbers of organs available for transplantation with dedicated funding supporting staffing costs in hospitals, the co-ordination of this transplant expansion programme, training, education and communications. Ten additional co-ordinators across the UK are being appointed. Donor transplant co-ordinators have a particular responsibility to raise the importance and profile of organ/tissue donation in all hospitals and will carry out various education initiatives. Specific funding is also being made available to employ donor liaison sisters/staff nurses in 35 hospitals with intensive care units. They will be responsible for identifying potential donors and ensuring that all staff in that hospital understand the importance of organ and tissue donation and how it can be arranged.