Britons lose automatic right over kin's body

Evening Standard

September 1, 2006

London: Sweeping changes to the way human organs are stored and donated in most of the UK came into force yesterday.

Under the Human Tissue Act, relatives will no longer have an automatic right to prevent doctors using organs from a dead family member.

In future, the wishes of the deceased must take precedence if a dead patient has expressed a wish to donate, doctors can lawfully remove his or her organs even if relatives object.

The Act lays down new rules on the removal, storage, transplantation and display of human organs and body parts. It also makes collecting DNA samples without permission illegal, with certain special exceptions such as in police investigations.

The new arrangements are expected to increase the number of available organs. More than 8,000 people in the UK currently need a transplant, but due to the organ shortage fewer than 3,000 transplants are carried out each year.

About 500 people die each year while waiting for a suitable organ. The Act, which comes into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has drawn mixed reactions in the scientific and medical communities.

John Evans, chairman of the British Organ Donor Society, said: "This is altering the bias from asking the family to telling them what's going to happen, so it is more towards the donor's wishes. We are in favour of it, but we wait to see with time how effective it is."

He urged would-be donors to sign up on the national register to prevent confusion over their intentions.

Timothy Statham, chief executive of the National Kidney Federation, said: "The donation of a body organ from one person to another is a truly selfless and thoroughly altruistic act.

"The National Kidney Federation warmly welcomes the Human Tissue Act and in particular the recognition that such 'gifts of life' can, and will, take place between strangers."

But Elizabeth Ward, president of the British Kidney Patients Association, said the new law did not go far enough. She added: "What we need to have is an opt-out system."

Copyright © 2006 Al Nisr Publishing LLC.

This article posted September 10, 2006.