Summary

In recent years, the transplantation of organs has continued to develop as a successful form of treatment for life-threatening conditions resulting from organ failure. The transplantation of a kidney is now the most cost-effective form of treatment for renal failure and is almost always preferable to kidney dialysis. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to realise the full potential of advances in transplantation surgery because of the severe shortage of donor organs both in the UK and, more widely, across the European Union as a whole.

In May 2007, the European Commission issued a Communication relating to organ donation and transplantation. This made a number of proposals for actions, at Community and Member State levels, which were designed to help increase the supply of donor organs across the EU. The two major elements were: first, the introduction of a directive aimed at setting standards for the quality and safety of organ donation and transplantation across the EU; and, second, the establishment of an action plan for closer cooperation between Member States in sharing experiences and best practice.

The Report brings together evidence relating to the Commission’s proposals and draws conclusions about their merits. In order to put these conclusions in context, the Report also sets out the evidence received about a range of matters relating to organ donation which are not within Community competence but which are, nevertheless, of central relevance to the main issue which the Commission’s Communication addresses, namely, the shortage of organs for donation.

During the inquiry, the Department of Health’s Organ Donation Taskforce published a number of recommendations for the re-organisation of the health infrastructure in the UK which had the aim of increasing the supply of donor organs available for transplant. The inquiry also coincided with the publication of a proposal, by the Chief Medical Officer for England, that current legislation in England should be changed in order to create a “presumed consent” or “opt-out” system for organ donation in place of the existing “opt-in” system. The Report
covers the evidence received in relation to both these issues.

The Committee’s conclusion is that the proposals set out in the Commission’s Communication would help to raise the numbers of organs available for transplantation as well as the overall safety and quality of those organs. It is seen as important, however, that the proposed directive on the quality and safety of organs should not be overly bureaucratic and that it should not inhibit the application of expert clinical judgement and informed patient choice.

While the scope of Community competence in relation to organ donation is limited, the Committtee take the view that the Commission’s proposals usefully stimulated the inquiry to assess a wider range of important, closely related issues. The Committee hope that the Report, in addition to its primary purpose of contributing to the future development of sound proposals at Community level, will make a valuable contribution to the aim of improving the performance of organ donation and transplantation activities in the UK.

Download the report from the Parliament website in Portable Document Format

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