DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 11 March 2009
A review to
clarify the rules on organ transplants for NHS patients and non-
UK EU residents, was announced by Health Secretary Alan Johnson today.
A number of organs from UK deceased donors are transplanted into
non-UK resident EU nationals each year. To help ensure public
confidence in the fairness and transparency of the organ
allocation system in the UK Elisabeth Buggins, the chair of the
former Organ Donation Taskforce, has been asked to examine policy
and practice within the framework of European law, on the use of
organs from UK deceased donors.
The review will:
* Provide clarity to the transplant community and enable
individual transplant centres to review or agree their policies in
relation to this area of healthcare and to ensure that the needs
of UK patients are met within the framework of European law
* Enable the UK to feed in the Taskforce findings to any work
taken forward by the European Commission as part of the
implementation of the Organ Donation Action Plan published 8
December 2008
* Reassure the public about the integrity of the UK transplant programme
Health Secretary, Alan Johnson said:
"Organ donation is one of medicine's great success
stories, transforming thousands of people's lives each year.
We want to enable as many UK nationals as possible who need new
organs to have that life saving or life enhancing organ
transplant. That is why we accepted the Organ Donation taskforce
recommendations last year and why we are investing significantly
in the donation infrastructure.
"We are aware that some people resident in other countries
within the European Union needing transplants are being referred
to the UK. This had led to accusations of priority being given to
non-UK patients. We want to optimise the availability of organs
for transplant for NHS patients and ensure public confidence in
the fairness and transparency of the organ allocation system in
the UK. I have asked Elisabeth Buggins to lead this review to
examine policy and practice within the framework of European law,
on the use of organs from UK deceased donors."
Elisabeth Buggins said:
"I am happy to lead this review. I recognise that this is a
complex and sensitive area. It is important to be able to build
the confidence of the public in the integrity of the systems that
determine how precious donated organs are allocated to individual
patients, and to provide clear guidance to the transplant community."
Ends
Notes to editors:
1. For all media enquiries please contact the DH media centre on
tel: 020 7210 5221
2. The terms of reference for the review are as follows:
In order to optimise the availability of organs for transplant
for NHS patients and ensure public confidence in the fairness and
transparency of the organ allocation system in the UK, to examine
policy and practice in the UK, within the framework of european
law, on the use of organs from UK deceased donors in respect of
the referral, acceptance and transplantation of non UK EU
residents including the different funding arrangements and to
report findings to the Department of Health by June 2009.
3. The review will be conducted to examine policy and practice
within the framework of European law.