Why are fewer people donating their organs?

"For almost a year, Matthew Smith woke up every day wondering if he would receive the phonecall that would save his life. Diagnosed with a terminal lung condition in 2023, he spent many nerve-wracking months on the waiting list for an urgent double lung transplant. "From when you first wake up, you think, is today going to be the day we get that call?" he said. For him and wife Nicola, from Wednesbury, every day was a waiting game. "I would wake up through the night just to double check my phone that I haven't slept through a phone call," his wife added. The call did eventually come after 10 long months. But there are more than 8,000 people - more than ever before - currently waiting for an organ donation in the UK."

"In 2020, an "opt-out" donation system was introduced in England in 2020, five years after being implemented in Wales. The system presumes consent to donate organs for all adults unless they explictly remove themselves from the list, with Theresa May's government estimating in 2018 that it could save up to 700 lives each year. However, family members can veto their loved one's wishes to donate their organs after their death, even if they had signed up to the organ donor register. Reasons that families have given for blocking donations have included not knowing what the patient would have wanted, feeling the process took too long, not wanting any further surgery to the body or being against religious and cultural beliefs."

Matthew Smith waited ten months for an urgent double lung transplant after a 2023 terminal lung diagnosis, living daily with anxiety about receiving a life-saving phone call. More than 8,000 people are currently waiting for organ donation in the UK, a record high. An opt-out donation system was introduced in England in 2020, presuming adult consent unless individuals explicitly remove themselves, with government estimates of up to 700 lives saved annually. Donor consent rates have stagnated and family members can veto donation even when an individual is registered. Families cite uncertainty about the patient's wishes, delays, refusal of further surgery, and religious or cultural beliefs.

Read at www.bbc.com