Time To Talk Organ Donation

From December 2015, deemed consent of organs will be granted in Wales in the event that someone passes away, unless they have opted out or said otherwise to their loved ones. As the Welsh government works to prepare people for the change in the law, Kayleigh Old, Public Affairs Officer for Wales at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, explains why it’s ‘Time to Talk Organ Donation’.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is supporting the ‘Time to Talk Organ Donation’ campaign, the Welsh Government’s initiative to encourage people to let their loved ones know their wishes regarding organ donation in the event of their death.

As the people of Wales get closer to the historic move to a soft opt-out system, it is vital that all of us, wherever we live in the UK, talk to our families and friends about what we want to happen after we go.

Losing someone you love can be one of the most emotional, confusing and painful experiences, and being asked about someone’s wishes after they have died can add to that stress and sense of loss. By talking your feelings through clearly with your family, you can remove any doubt they may experience in the unfortunate event of your death, and ensure that your wishes are carried out.

With the Trust’s commitment to improving transplant rates for those with cystic fibrosis, this initiative is very encouraging; we believe that the Welsh Government is leading the way in organ donation. We are hopeful that their new law will bring about awareness and a rise in transplantation rates across the UK, as there will be more organs available for donation.

Currently, one in three people on the transplant list for lungs, dies waiting. Our Hope for More campaign highlighted ways that this situation could be addressed, including a national lung allocation system and expanded use of extended criteria lungs. 

We are continuing to work with organisations that can take this crucial work forward, including transplant teams, cystic fibrosis services, legislative bodies across the UK and the NHS Blood and Transplant Group.

In 2015 the soft opt-out system will become law, and we hope that this will pave the way for the other UK nations. Before then, we must use this opportunity to tell the people we care about most what we believe. As the campaign says, it’s ‘Time to Talk Organ Donation’.

To find out more about the Soft Opt Out, please click here http://www.organdonationwales.org/.