The proposal for organs of a deceased to be legally obtained without explicit consent became a step closer in February
Without a specific clause when making a Will, it is said that up to 500 lives will be saved by the measures backed by MP’s. A private members' bill, which would bring England into line with Wales which already has an opt-out system for consent, passed its second reading on Friday.
In Wales, where an opt-out system was introduced in December 2015, there has actually been a small dip in the number of deceased donors, from 64 in 2015-16 to 61 in 2016-17.
A lasting Power of Attorney for Health & Welfare allows a person to make life sustaining decisions on your behalf, however the power seizes at the point of death. When Writing a will it is common practice to ask if a person consents to their organs being used for transplant purposes. However this law would override all this and people in the Bristol area would be expected to opt out if they do not wish for their organs to be removed.
The government backed scheme has yet to receive royal assent and Rose & Trust of Bristol will keep all our Will writing and Power of Attorney clients up to date with any changes in the law.