Organ Donation Bills

As I have previously blogged, I find it offensive that a decision to be an organ donor can be vetoed by your family. The good news is there is a bill by Jackie Blue and Andy Tookey to stop other people over-riding your decisions with your organs. Andy Tookey appeared yesterday at the Health Select Committee with his daughter Katie who is five and may need a liver transplant in the next few years.

Sadly the Government also has a bill which specifically legislates for your wishes to be over-riden by others on “spiritual or cultural grounds”. This is awful because it means your partner’s or family’s spirtual beliefs get to trump your own ones. You may tick to be an organ donor and your partner may belong to a religion that doesn’t support organ donation. So if you die, your religious beliefs are ignored, and your partner’s ones over-ride your own.