Organ donation: the choice is yours but make it known

I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Something we’ve all said, usually in a flippant manner, to justify our spending or to enjoy life to the full.
Susan Hannah, regional manager for Scotland Organ Donation Services Team, said: “When we look at the reasons people decline organ donation, one of the biggest factors is that families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted."Susan Hannah, regional manager for Scotland Organ Donation Services Team, said: “When we look at the reasons people decline organ donation, one of the biggest factors is that families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted."
Susan Hannah, regional manager for Scotland Organ Donation Services Team, said: “When we look at the reasons people decline organ donation, one of the biggest factors is that families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted."

However, for some that bolt of lightning will strike when they least expect it and an ordinary day will turn out to be their last.

When the worst happens, and if you are among the one per cent of the population who can give their organs, your loved ones will be asked about your views.

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To make the process easier, the law around organ and tissue donation in Scotland is set to change to an opt out system from March 2021.

Incredible gift...that can help transform the lives of up to nine people.Incredible gift...that can help transform the lives of up to nine people.
Incredible gift...that can help transform the lives of up to nine people.

And from September 7 to 13, Organ Donation Week, people are being encouraged to make their decision known to loved ones.

The change in law means that, from March next year, if people aged 16 and over have not recorded a decision about donation, they will be considered as a possible donor when they die.

Organ and tissue donation remains a personal decision and everyone has a choice – to either register to be a donor or opt out of donation – but making their view known is vital.

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In 2019/20, 407 people in Scotland received an organ transplant and there are currently 570 people in Scotland waiting on that all important call.

Have the conversation...a new opt out system will be introduced next March so it's important to share your views on organ donation with your nearest and dearest.Have the conversation...a new opt out system will be introduced next March so it's important to share your views on organ donation with your nearest and dearest.
Have the conversation...a new opt out system will be introduced next March so it's important to share your views on organ donation with your nearest and dearest.

Sadly, the phone will never ring for some – last year, 37 Scots died while waiting for a transplant.

It is hoped the opt out system will help improve that picture in future.

Families will always be asked what their loved ones wishes were.

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If they’ve made it known to their family, it may make an already horrendous situation a little bit easier.

Special award...for families of donors who have helped save or change the lives of hundreds of people this year by donating their organs and tissue.Special award...for families of donors who have helped save or change the lives of hundreds of people this year by donating their organs and tissue.
Special award...for families of donors who have helped save or change the lives of hundreds of people this year by donating their organs and tissue.

And it’s for that reason Susan Hannah, regional manager for Scotland Organ Donation Services Team, is asking readers to have that all important conversation.

She said: “When we look at the reasons people decline organ donation, one of the biggest factors is that families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted.

“You are sitting with families at the worst time of their lives and asking them about end of life choices.

“It can be really difficult for them to know what to do.

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“As a society we don’t discuss death much, other than perhaps what our funeral wishes are.

“So when the worst happens, when an ordinary day turns into the worst in your life, it’s a very difficult decision to make.

“If people have discussed their wishes and made them known, some of that worry is taken away from the family.

“We always ask families what their wishes are and will continue to do so under the opt out system.

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“If they know that their loved one wanted to donate their organs and tissue, you can see the difference it makes to them.

“The families are very often proud of that decision and it gives them comfort, perhaps not immediately but as they come to terms with their loss.

“That’s why we’re asking people during Organ Donation Week to sit down and discuss what they want and make that decision known to their families.

“None of us expect an ordinary day to be our last but for some people the worst will happen.

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“If they have spoken to their nearest and dearest about their wishes, it could help their families.”

Only one per cent of the population are in a position to donate their organs in the event of their death.

So while many support organ donation, and would accept the incredible gift if they needed an organ, public awareness of the issue remains low.

Susan explained: “For organ donation to be possible, you need to be in a specific area of care.

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“Most donors are in critical care units, having suffered trauma in a road traffic accident, a bleed on the brain or a stroke.

“That’s why only one per cent of the population are able to donate their organs.

“Most people, however, are able to donate their tissue – for example, their corneas which can give people of all ages the gift of sight.”

Working closely with families on both sides of the coin, Susan knows how life-changing a donation can be.

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However, she wanted to stress that families will always have the final say.

“We will always be guided by the donor and their families,” she said.

“However, 70 per cent of the Scottish population support organ donation.

“So the opt out system, which is used successfully in most European countries, will better reflect and support the public’s view.

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“Unfortunately, 37 people in Scotland died last year waiting on a transplant and there are currently 570 people on the transplant list.

“Donation rates are better in European countries with the opt out system than they are here.

“We will have to wait and see if it improves the picture in Scotland – we certainly hope it will.

“It’s a cultural change and that can take time.

“We need to reassure people that the choice is always going to be there.

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“However, we also need people to start thinking about what they want and, once they’ve decided, to share that decision with their families.

“We’ve all got busy lives and none of us really think the worst is going to happen.

“Most of us don’t know someone who is waiting on a transplant and the impact it has on their daily lives.

“But most of us would be happy to receive an organ if we desperately needed it.

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“That’s why we really need people to think about it and share their decision.

“You never know when your life is going to change.”

Tissue and organ donations are essential to many operations which are routinely available for NHS patients in Scotland.

Dr Sharon Zahra, consultant and clinical lead, tissues, cells and advanced therapeutics at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, said: “None of these operations would be possible without the very generous donation made by donors.

“We would like to thank all donors and their loved ones for allowing donation to go ahead so that other patients’ lives may be saved or greatly improved.”

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People can find out more about the opt out system and their choices at www.organdonationscotland.org.

Special award for an incredible gift

People in Scotland who have given the gift of life to others through organ donation are being honoured this week with a special award.

The Order of St John Award for Organ and Tissue Donation honours those who lost their lives within the past year but whose decision to donate their organs saved or transformed the lives of others.

The awards are a joint venture between the Order of St John and NHS Blood and Transplant and are given annually to the family of the donor, in recognition of their gift.

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Presented during Organ Donation Week, the awards are usually bestowed in a national ceremony in Edinburgh. However, due to coronavirus restrictions the ceremony was unable to take place this year.

Instead, families will receive the awards remotely and be invited to view recorded messages of thanks from the Order of St John, NHS Blood and Transplant service and Gordon Hutchinson, whose life was saved when he received a heart transplant – aged just 13.

It is also hoped that in future years, when the ceremony can take place again, families who are unable to attend the event will be able to access a similar online resource.

Major General Mark Strudwick, Prior of the Order of St John in Scotland, said: “We understand how important organ donation is in giving people who are waiting for a transplant the chance of life.

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“It is a great privilege for us to work alongside NHS Blood and Transplant for the eighth year running to help honour these families in this way.

“The award is inscribed with the words ‘add life, give hope’, and that is exactly what these donors and their families have done.”

Anthony Clarkson, director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, added: “Transplant patients tell us that organ donors and their families are heroes.

“This award is a chance for us all to recognise their bravery and generosity and their amazing contribution to society.”

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