4. 3. Statement: Deemed Consent for Organ Donation — the First Six Months

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:15 pm on 14 June 2016.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:15, 14 June 2016

Thank you for the comments and questions, Dai Lloyd. I’m more than happy, as I said in response to Rhun ap Iorwerth, to continue the conversation with other Parliaments and other parts of the NHS family across the UK. As I say, I know they are actively considering and interested in the progress of our legislation and the practical impact on the numbers of people going on to be organ donors.

I think this is a really good example of the creative use of our powers in this place for a real purpose—a practical and improved difference for citizens in Wales. And I think it is a genuine cross-party cause for recognition about how we could do things in the future as well. In particular, your point that each donor helps more than one person: we’ve seen 10 people proceeding to donation, 32 extra transplants taken, in the first six months through deemed consent. That’s a significant number of people who are being helped by the progress of this legislation and I hope to see further improvement on that in the future too. But I would say that, even at this point, if we see that maintained in the future, then the legislation will have been well worth it—having many, many people in years to come who can say that their life has been improved or saved because of the choice that we’ve made to create this legislation.

I’ll deal with your final point about the nature of the conversation. You’re absolutely right about the fact that we’ve had the legislation passed, so it changes the nature of the conversation and the approach that people take in having a conversation at an incredibly difficult time for individuals in saying goodbye to a loved one and understanding what might then happen about the gift of life to other people as well. Having the conversation start from a positive point about donation being, if you like, the default option to opt for, was something that came through in the consultation during the course of the Bill and has been reinforced in engagement that we’ve had with people throughout the last couple of years as well. So, I think there’s good reason to be optimistic about that, but equally good reason to review whether that is still the case in practice, about the way that different people outside this place—faith and voluntary communities—and, in particular, linking to people actually undertaking those conversations, as to whether what we think we’re seeing in the first six months is being maintained or whether there is more that we can do to improve the situation further.