THE Bishop of Southwark, Dr Tom Butler, has called on the Government to improve the opt-in system for donating organs, before changing to an opt-out system of presumed consent.
Dr Butler was speaking on Tuesday, after the Prime Minister called for a national debate on whether to change the system of organ donation. At present, organs can be taken from a dead body only if the person gave consent while he or she was still alive. Under the proposed new system, all would automatically be placed on the donor register unless they opted out.
On Thought for the Day on Radio 4, Dr Butler said: “I would want us to work much harder at the opting-in system before making the change to opting out. At the moment, it isn’t easy to opt in.
“For some years, I carried a donor card. Last week, I tried to get a replacement. I went to the post office, pharmacy, and nursing station. Nobody had one. In fact, the common reaction was: ‘I haven’t seen one of those for years.’ I hope that more people through hearing the debate will be motivated to opt in.”
He said that there was virtue in either system, as Christians had a mandate to heal; but he warned about the dangers of not treating the deceased body with reverence and respect. “For example, our experience as pastors at the time of the Bristol and Alder Hey inquiries has shown us that the body and its parts are crucially important to bereaved parents and friends. They are not commodities to be used at will without great sensitivity.”
But he admitted that lives could be saved. There are currently more than 8000 people waiting for organ transplants in the UK. The figure rises by about eight per cent a year.
Last year, a submission by the Church of England’s Mission and Public Affairs Division said that Christians should consider organ donation after their death as part of their Christian service. The submission, to a House of Lords inquiry, said that the Christian tradition affirmed the value of human life, and the principle of putting the needs of others before one’s own (News, 12 October).
|
back to News
previous story
|
next story 
back to top
.gif "Caris Magazine for girls aged 11 to 16 © site")
