Opting out of organ donation – NI “I’m not ready”

A leading transplant surgeon has said Northern Ireland is “not ready” for the proposed opt-out organ donation system used in other parts of the UK.

Dr Tim Brown, who has carried out more than 350 transplants in Northern Ireland, wants the “status quo” to remain.

He said he believed “there is no data to support an opt-out system.”

Northern Ireland could soon become the only region of the UK without the scheme in place.

It assumes that everyone is a potential donor unless they sign a register saying they do not wish to donate their organs.

Dr Brown told BBC News NI’s The View that Northern Ireland had “a system that works instantly”.

“The numbers are increasing every year, so why would we potentially destroy a situation that is working well and move it into a situation where there is no evidence to support it?” he said.

He added that it was too early to tell whether the “experiment” in Wales had increased organ donation rates.

Dr Brown also said it was not as simple as changing the law.

“Croatia, Spain and Portugal, which have the highest donor rates, have cultural attitudes towards organ donation and it is common for organ donation to take place in untimely and tragic situations.

“What we need to do as a society across the UK is to change the hearts and minds of people who are culturally aware of organ donation.”

But one of his most high-profile transplant patients has a different take.

“This law doesn’t need to be complicated, it doesn’t need to be difficult, it needs to be simple,” said Mr Finnegan, who received a second kidney transplant after a donation from Joe Brolly failed. is at the heart of this process.” .

He also called for more investment in promotion to change the culture around organ donation.

Mr Brolly is also in favor of legislative changes to support a “soft opt-out” scheme being considered in the Republic of Ireland.

“If you write a bill, call it the Family Consent Bill and make it easy to understand.

“Because what people don’t understand is that whether you’re a registered organ donor or not, you need your family’s consent, and that’s the only situation in which doctors can retrieve your organs. That’s it.

“Organ donation is the only system that works because ultimately it has to be a gift.”

He also revealed that he is now one of 78 living donors in Northern Ireland, up from seven in 2011.

They initially supported a bill introduced by Ulster unionist MLA Joanne Dobson to change the local law, but later withdrew their support.

The bill was rejected by members of the Health Committee.

Meanwhile, the BBC has revealed that more than 500 families across the UK are blocking organs from deceased relatives, despite being on the organ donor register.

This figure covers the past five years.

Legally, the wishes of the deceased should be respected, but in reality this is not the case.

The most common reason a loved one doesn’t want their organs donated is because the process is time-consuming.

Find out more on BBC One Northern Ireland on Thursdays from 22:40 BST.