Written evidence submitted by Brethren
Christian Fellowship (UK)
The Committee has asked for submissions to ten specific
points, outlined in your current web page. We wish to respond
to three salient issues which we feel are of paramount importance
in your current deliberations.
POINT 4
Question: To what extent is there a demand
for legislation on the matter(s) in question?
Submission
We accept that there may be a case for the demand
for legislation to improve Organ Donation.
However, it must be clearly pointed out that such
legislation must be enshrined within a morally acceptable framework
of respecting the personal right to donate or refuse to donate
whilst living.
The assumption that organ harvesting will be deemed
acceptable by law unless the donor has given specific refusal
prior to their death is totally unacceptable.
POINT 7
Question: Does the LCO have the potential
to increase the regulatory burden on the private or public sector?
Submission
Yes.
Health institutions in Wales are already struggling
to provide the health service "that we would like to be the
envy of the world" that has been promoted by the Welsh Assembly
Government. It is appreciated that this struggle has not been
necessarily of their own making.
However, to increase burdens by way of legislation,
without the necessary implementation of suitably equipped and
available premises, qualified surgical and medical staff assisted
by nursing professionals and emergency transport infrastructures,
along with trained councillors and support staff will only add
to the existing burden faced by health service executives.
Many European and other countries have experienced
that increased facilities and resources prove to be more beneficial
than legislating for Presumed Consent.
POINT 10
Question: Has full use been made of any existing
powers to issue statutory guidance and/or secondary legislation
in relation to this Matter?
Submission
The Welsh Assembly Government has to be admired for
their program of public awareness campaigns with respect to organ
donation.
These campaigns have yielded a considerable increase
in donation rates and figures are readily available to support
such increases. It is appreciated, that as encouraging as these
increases have been, they fall short of the ideology of numbers
required by organ donation institutions and professionals to attain
to the criteria for the number of waiting recipients.
We submit that: further media advertising utilising
well presented and compelling material via billboard postings,
newspaper and television coverage, along with intense campaigns
to create public awareness of alternatives such as Mandated Choice
(which do not require legislation) will substantially increase
donation rates to the desired levels, without the need to legislate
for Presumed Consent.
February 2011
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