Politicians have welcomed Northern Ireland’s first organ donation family discussion day, which will take place today (Thursday December 11).
The event aims to to encourage families across Northern Ireland to discuss organ donation, and to ensure that their wishes are known.
East Antrim MLA Roy Beggs Jr, who is a member of the all-party group on organ donation at Stormont, commented: “Please take time to consider signing up to organ donation, it will save lives. At present, it is estimated that 15 people die every day in Northern Ireland waiting for a transplant, even though 84 per cent of people in Northern Ireland say that they agree to the idea of organ donation. Only 38 per cent of families give consent to donation when faced with the choice. I would urge you to have a chat with a loved one on the 11th to discuss organ donation.”
East Antrim MLA Alastair Ross added: “It is vitally important to ensure that families know the wishes of their loved ones when faced with difficult decisions about donation. For many years now I have argued that expressed consent must be at the heart of any system, and 11 December allows people to have that conversation and ensure their wishes are known. Whilst I strongly oppose any shift to a model of ‘presumed consent,’ everyone who has an interest in organ donation agrees that families need to have the discussion.
To sign the register, or for information, visit http://www.organdonationni.info/
Parliamentary reports show first speaker only - follow this lnk for the full transcription.
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