Irish Heart Opt-Out Organ Donation Saves Lives

Welcome step towards opt-out system for organ donation consent

The Irish Heart Foundation warmly welcomed the move to an opt-out system for organ donation consent, as outlined in the publication of the General Plan of the Human Tissue Bill yesterday (Thursday 2 May 2019).

The newly proposed bill includes provisions that would introduce an opt-out system for organ donation consent for the first time in Ireland.

Under this system, adults are deemed to have consented to organ donation after death unless they have registered on an opt-out list indicating that they do not wish to donate their organs while they are alive.

In the case of a person on the opt-out register, the person's next of kin will not be approached to discuss organ donation and no organs will be removed.

If you are not on the opt-out register, your next of kin will always be consulted before any organ is removed. If your next of kin objects to organ donation, the donation will not take place.

Health Minister Simon Harris said: “I am really pleased that we are able to bring forward this vital Bill, which is a key responsibility of mine and the Government.

“In recent years, great strides have been made towards increasing the number of transplants carried out in Ireland by the Irish Organ Donation and Transplant Society, the three transplant centres – Beaumont Hospital, St Vincent's University Hospital and Mater Misericordia University Hospital – and my Department,” the Minister continued.

“I strongly believe that this opt-out scheme will be a game changer for organ donation in Ireland and it will be supported by a series of other measures to make the scheme most effective. It is vital that we do all we can to ensure that organ donation becomes the norm in Ireland when someone dies in a situation where organ donation is possible,” the Minister added.

When the outline of the Bill was published yesterday, Professor Jim Egan, Director of Ireland's Organ Donation and Transplant Authority, said: “The opt-out system is one of a number of measures that are needed to optimise organ donation rates.”

“The bill will be coordinated with awareness campaigns, strengthening infrastructure, training medical staff and audits to ensure that all transplant opportunities are taken care of.”

Echoing Professor Egan's call for stronger infrastructure and training, Chris Macy, head of advocacy at the Irish Heart Foundation, said: “The Irish Heart Foundation wholeheartedly welcomes the move to an opt-out system. There is no doubt that this will increase organ donation rates and save more lives by giving patients who need an organ, particularly a heart transplant, the best possible chance of survival. However, other key elements of an effective system – investment in the right infrastructure for organ donation, staffing and training, an opt-out register and raising public awareness to promote a culture of organ donation in society – must also be in place to deliver.”

A total of 18 heart transplants were carried out at Dublin's Matter Hospital in 2018, and 12 people are currently waiting for a donated heart, some for up to two years.