Evaluation of the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act
Research type
Research Study
Full title
EVALUATION OF THE ORGAN DONATION (DEEMED CONSENT) ACT, 2019 IN ENGLAND
IRAS ID
297313
Contact name
Nicholas Mays
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 7 months, 29 days
Research summary
The government plans to increase organ donation by changing the way people consent to donate organs after death. In 2020 the Organ Donation (deemed consent) Act was passed in England. This changes the way people consent to donate organs after death by incorporating the principle that it will be presumed that adults over 18 consent unless they have opted out on the Organ Donor Register, or by telling a relative or close friend of their decision. This new ‘soft opt-out’ system is intended to encourage more people to donate organs and to allow more transplants to happen. Wales moved to a similar system in 2015 and since then organ donation consent rates in Wales have improved, though putting the new system into operation was not always straightforward, and people in Wales did not fully understand the changes.
The purpose of this study is to learn more about the impact this new system has in England on: organ donation consent rates; number of transplants; public attitudes and behaviour; NHS staff and organisations; and the experiences of family members and close friends who are approached about organ donation after their relative dies.We will do this through: surveys of the public and NHS staff, case studies in two NHS regions in England, interviews with family members of the deceased, analysing NHS information, and talking to a range of people interested in organ donation.
The study will provide information about any barriers to organ donation, support service design and delivery, and will inform policy makers about the impact of the new system. Our ultimate goal is to learn how the new opt out system in England works for those whose organs will be donated, for the relatives/friends of those who have died, and for the hospital staff who deal with organ donation.
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/NW/0151
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion