The Welsh Government is consulting on a Draft Bill which will introduce a soft opt-out system for consent to deceased organ and tissue donation in Wales. A soft opt-out system is where a person’s consent to donation will be deemed to have been given unless they objected during their lifetime - a process called opting out.
Organ ‘donation’ is considered as a free gift that an individual makes through informed choice in order to help another fellow human even after death. We support informing and encouraging individuals to make informed personal choice. The current legislation allows individuals to do this and should therefore be retained.
However, it is morally not acceptable to bring about the mutilation of a human being even in order to delay the death of another person without true consent either by the person during their life, or by their relative after death. 'Presumed consent’ is not consent. The body has dignity even after death; removal of organs without explicit consent is an assault.
It is important to give your opinion on this draft bill by responding to the consultation. Below is a list of ways you can respond. We urge everyone to take action immediately. Your responses will be considered in developing the final Bill to be laid before the National Assembly for Wales by the end of the year. The deadline till the end of the consultation is 10th September 2012.
If this bill goes through, we will see a large majority of organ and tissue transplantation taken without the actual permission of the deceased.
2. Fill in the consultation response form (word document) and email it to: organdonation@wales.gsi.gov.uk – Please mark the subject of your email: Consultation on the Draft Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill
3. Print out the consultation response form, fill it in and post it to:
Organ Donation Legislation Team
Medical Directorate, 4th Floor
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
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