| Richard Archer 2004-10-03, 10:21 pm |
| In the next few days, the House of Commons is due to vote on Dr Evan
Harris's (Lib Dem) bill for presumed consent of Organs for Transplants.
The Conservative and Lib Dem MPs have been given a "free" vote, allowed to
make up their own minds on the issue.
As reported on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, the Labour MPs
are to be whipped (instructed to vote) against the proposal on the grounds
of there being insufficient cash and or infrastructure to implement such a
scheme.
It seems to me, that with the current chronic shortage of organs in the UK
and an apparent lengthening of waiting lists for transplants year on year,
that without increasing funds markedly and utilising the full current
capacity of transplant teams we would see even a modest improvement in
transplant rates.
Its my belief that not every single organ that becomes potentially available
need be used, if there are no surgeons available to carry out a transplant
because they are all busy transplanting other organs then fair enough - but
the current situation where transplant surgeons talk publicly about the lack
of donors and remain unable to help those in the most dire need is simply
immoral.
I would urge all UK people in here to email yr MP and urge him to support
the bill.
Richard Archer
Dialysis 1986-1990, 2003-? (2008 is a fair bet according to my surgeon)
Transplant 1990 - 2002
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