News
Board of Deputies calls on government to honour organ donation law reassurances
It said these were necessary to give the Jewish community 'confidence' in the shift to an opt-out system
February 27, 2019 11:58
It said these were necessary to give the Jewish community 'confidence' in the shift to an opt-out system
February 27, 2019 11:58The Board of Deputies has called for reassurances it received about the new organ donation law to be honoured so the Jewish community can have "confidence" in it.
The Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill is set to become law in England next year, and will see a major shift from an opt-in to an opt-out system, so people would need to specify if they do not want their organs to be used for transplants after their death.
After the Bill passed its third reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday, Board Vice President Amanda Bowman said it was “essential" that the reassurances ministers gave are "incorporated firmly into the system so that the Jewish community have confidence in the organ donation regime”.
She added: “The ministerial reassurances given to the Board of Deputies – most notably that there will always be a discussion with the family who can indicate their loved one’s wishes – go some way to protect our religious freedom.
"It is also now possible to explicitly request for faith issues to be taken into account on the organ donation register."
Last October, Jackie Doyle-Price, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health, wrote to Board President Marie van der Zyl in an attempt to “clarify the intended operation of the proposed provisions of the Bill”.
Among the points discussed, Ms Doyle-Price said: “A person’s faith designation, whether identified through the register or through discussion with persons in a qualifying relationship, will continue to be a decisive factor in determining the deceased’s views regarding consent.”
The Minister also wrote that “as is currently the case, organs and tissue will not be taken without full consultation with persons in a qualifying relationship.
"There will always be a personal discussion with the family and full consideration will be given to the views of a person's loved ones…
"As is currently the case, where an individual cannot be identified or persons in a qualifying relationship cannot be reached, organs will not be taken from the deceased.”
Ms Doyle-Price also confirmed at the time that there would be an option on the Organ Donor Register (ODR) to "allow people to state that their decision to donate organs is contingent upon their faith being respected and adhered to in all respects".
“In order to respect these wishes the deceased’s family and, where requested, faith leaders should be consulted to determine whether organ donation is a possibility for them and to discuss how donation can proceed whilst ensuring that any religious obligations are observed," she wrote.
She added that the ODR would include text saying "I would like NHS staff to speak to my family and anyone else appropriate about how Organ Donation can go ahead in line with my faith or belief"’ and ‘Record whether you want our specialist nurses to discuss your faith or beliefs when they approach them about organ donation".
