Plan presumed consent: Wales provides more organ donors
a call has been done more research on the presumed consent for organ donation as Wales is about to become the first part of the UK to adopt.
A University of Ulster Wales team has found more donors constantly supplies and donations from other countries in the UK.
But they say presumed consent laws across Europe show mixed results that require further investigation.
Activists say presumed consent have increased awareness of the issue, but opponents warn it could be counterproductive.
Ulster's team analyzed data from the NHS blood and transplant of the four countries of the United Kingdom between 1990 and 2009, and compared the data of registration and donation of other European countries.
The research found that Wales "consistently outperformed" its neighbors in the UK, both in terms of percentage of people registered and organ donation rate, which had been above the UK average for most recent 20.
Read the main story
"
Home Quote
It is testimony to the discussions we've had in recent years "
Dr. Dai Lloyd
Former AM and supporter of presumed consent
The authors recommended further research on the issue of presumed consent, which means that people would choose to become a donor, or their organs can be used.
The Welsh Assembly Government intends to introduce the system with the proviso that family members should be consulted.
The idea has the support of bodies such as the kidney foundation Wales, but has been criticized by some as the Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan, who said that organs should be donated as a gift and not as active " the State. "
Spain was found to have doubled organ donation rates with a system of "soft" presumed consent, but Sweden - which implies consent - had a rate similar to that of Germany and Denmark, where it operates informed consent, as in the United Kingdom.
"Further exploration of regional differences based and temporal variations in the donation of organs as well as organizational issues, practices and attitudes that may affect organ donation should be undertaken before considering legislation to support the presumed consent, "says the report.
"Comparison of EU countries, particularly Spain, indicates that improved rates of organ donation is likely to be achieved by introducing new legislation in peace."
"Increased awareness'
Swansea GP Dai Lloyd, who first tried to introduce a law of presumed consent, when he was a member of the Welsh Assembly, welcomed the results.
"It is testament to the discussions we've had in recent years with well-financed campaigns by the Welsh Assembly Government and Wales kidney," he said.
Read the main story
"
Home Quote
Wales has done very well, on a voluntary basis, but there is much resentment at the idea of the state to take the bodies of the people "
David Webb
Opponent presumed consent
"It has gone some way to promoting a better understanding of organ donation."
Roy Thomas, president of the Kidney Wales Foundation, said there was still a long way to go to reach other European countries.
"We are still receiving 30% (of people registered as donors) - we want to see twice that.
"The record is dated and out of date ... from other countries with better donation rates than ours."
However, David Webb, a consultant renal recently retired from the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, said the introduction of presumed consent legislation could "upset the apple cart."
I thought close-knit communities responding to appeals, but may react badly to compulsion.
"Wales have done very well, on a voluntary basis, but there is much resentment at the idea of the state to take the bodies of the people," he said.
"The conclusion is that the rate of transplants must improve - anything that obstructs that's a bad idea."
In 2008, a working group of the UK government rejected the idea of presumed consent, saying it can not increase the number of donors, but could be costly.
Plan presumed consent: Wales provides more organ donors
