Organ Donation Week 2024
This year’s Organ Donation Week (23-29th September) marks the 30th anniversary of the NHS Organ Donor Register.
What is Organ Donation?
Organ donation is the gift of an organ to help someone who needs a transplant. Thousands of lives in the UK are saved or transformed each year by organ transplants.
You can donate some organs while you are alive, and this is called living organ donation. However, most organ and tissue donations come from people who have died.
You can find out more about Organ Donation here by clicking here
What about the laws relating to Organ Donation?
The legislation for Wales is deemed consent.
This means that if you haven’t registered an organ and tissue donation decision (opt in or opt out), you will be considered to have no objection to becoming a donor.
It will be considered that you agree to become an organ donor when you die, if:
- you are over 18
- you have not opted out
- you are not in an excluded group
Organ donation is your decision. You can choose which organs to donate or opt out of donation altogether.
You can read more about organ donation legislation here
How your family is involved in organ donation?
Your family will always be consulted about whether you wanted to be an organ donor or not, and clinicians will never proceed with organ donation if your family or loved ones have any objections.
You can find out how your family is involved in organ donation here
How can you register?
You can register your decision to donate (opt in) or not to donate (opt out) here