RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The new ‘opt-out’ organ donation English law: Is the NHS ready for this?
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP e92
OP e93
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0675
VO 21
IS 1
A1 Thakshayene Mahenthran
YR 2021
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/21/1/e92.abstract
AB In May 2020, the new ‘opt-out’ organ donation law was passed in England. This law is a crucial step to help battle the long waiting lists of patients awaiting a transplant. This article aims to explore some of the challenges that the transplant teams may face with the new law, as well as raising awareness among the junior doctors, especially with the new COVID-19 transplant guidelines. Successful transplantations require immense training of healthcare professionals, fast retrieval services, pre- and postoperative care of patients, intensive care management, life-long follow-up and management of patients. Organ transplant surgery is a life-changing moment for a patient. Ultimately, commissioning groups, clinicians and managers need to work together, evaluate the changes required and enact thorough business plans to ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed. Together with increasing the awareness of organ donation within the public, the government needs to support the NHS to fund, train and manage transplant centres to welcome this much-awaited ‘opt-out’ organ donation law in England successfully.