§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on introducing an opt-out scheme allowing the surgical removal of organs unless the deceased has registered an objection in advance; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement. [12909]
§ Mr. BoatengI refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Ms Jowell) gave my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 20 May 1997 at columns 504–05.
Ministers have met interested members of the medical profession and voluntary organisations involved in organ donation and transplantation to discuss this and other issues. Ministers have also received four letters on this subject from hon. Members and a number of letters from the public generally, in every case, our response has been that all views will be considered carefully before reaching a decision but that any steps taken must command public confidence.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate(a) how many and (b) what percentage of people in England (i) carry a donor card and (ii) are registered on the NHS organ donor register. [12903]
§ Mr. BoatengOrgan donor cards have been distributed freely by many organisations over the last 25 years. No record has ever been kept of who may possess them. However, public opinion surveys show consistently that around 30 per cent. of the population claim to carry an organ donor card.
At 18 October 1997, there were 3,685,000 English residents on the national health service organ donor register—7.6 per cent. of the population.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a scheme of paid leave entitlements for those donating bone marrow; and if he will make a statement. [12869]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Government have no plans to introduce a scheme of paid leave entitlements for those donating bone marrow. There are two bone marrow donation registers in this country; the British bone marrow register which recruits from blood donors and is funded768W through the national health service, and the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register which is funded and run by the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. Both registers meet all reasonable expenses of donors, including travelling and accommodation expenses and compensation for loss of earnings.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to encourage people to(a) carry donor cards, (b) register on the NHS organ donor register (c) give blood and (d) donate bone marrow; and if he will make a statement; [12904]
(2) if he will estimate how much has been spent on promoting (a) the use of donor cards, (b) the NHS organ donor register, (c) blood donation and (d) bone marrow donation in each of the last 10 years. [12905]
§ Mr. BoatengNo information is available on Department of Health publicity campaigns before 1989–90. No information is available about the sums spent on promoting bone marrow donation over the last 10 years, but some associated costs may be contained within the blood publicity budget. The information available is provided in the table. Within the organ donation publicity budget, it is not possible to identify separately the amounts spent on individual campaigns.
There are continuing campaigns to encourage positive attitudes towards tissue donation. During this year, the Department is promoting a wide range of measures designed to increase the number of regular blood donors through raising awareness of the need to maintain supplies of blood to hospitals. This includes the launch this year of a new three to five year publicity strategy, designed to increase the current donor base and thereby reduce the need for emergency appeals, and the development of an information pack for secondary schools, for use in association with the national curriculum, which we hope will help to secure the future donor base.
The over-riding aim of organ donation publicity campaigns is to encourage people to discuss their donation wishes with their families. Knowing the views of the deceased in advance makes it easier for relatives to agree that organs may be donated. People are also encouraged to register their wishes by joining the computerised NHS organ donor register, established in 1994. This register builds on earlier work to promote organ donor cards, which are still distributed with the NHS organ donor register leaflets. We are considering how best to use publicity monies to encourage donation.
Bone marrow donors are recruited through two organisations. The British bone marrow register is funded through the NHS and recruits from blood donors at blood donation sessions. The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust is a charity funded by voluntary giving and recruits donors from the general public through local and national publicity campaigns.
769W
align="right">£000 National blood publicity Organ donation 1989–90 outturn 641 252 1990–91 outturn 731 228 1991–92 outturn 1,032 211 1992–93 outturn 983 1,992 1993–94 outturn 1,578 1,313 1994–95 outturn 1,145 1,579 1995–96 outturn 1,345 1,653 1996–97 outturn 1,199 1,225 Total 8,654 8,453 1997–98 (estimate) 1,218 996