Organ Donation (Hansard, 30 June 2003)

§ Mr. Wray
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make organ donation compulsory; and what assessment has been made as to whether this would affect organ trafficking. [121132]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
There are no plans to make organ donation compulsory in the United Kingdom.
170W
The Government are reviewing the law on the removal, retention and use of human tissues and organs. A consultation document on the issues, "Human Bodies, Human Choices", was published in July 2002 and a report on the responses was published in April 2003. New legislation will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

§ Mr. Wray
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place for medical staff to follow when approaching relatives of the recently deceased to request permission 10 use organs. [121133]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
Following widespread consultation, we published in April this year a code of practice, "Families and Post Mortems", which gives guidance in England and Wales on standards of communication with bereaved families about post mortem examination, including seeking consent for the retention and use of organs and tissue for medical education, audit and research. The code is supported by model consent forms and information leaflets. Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library and are also available at: www.doh.gov.uk/tissue

§ Mr. Wray
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to make organ donation easier; and whether there are circumstances where organs may be taken from the recently deceased without the permission of relatives. [121134]

§ Ms Rosie Winterton
People are encouraged through high profile campaigns to consider their wishes on organ donation during their lifetime, to make their wishes known to their relatives and to record their wishes on the national health service organ donor register.
In the NHS, a deceased's relatives are always asked whether or not the deceased would have objected or they themselves object to organs being donated for transplantation.