Organ donation ‘should be put on an opt-out basis’

EVERYBODY should be treated as a potential organ donor unless they explicitly ask to opt out of the system, Britain’s chief medical officer said yesterday.

Liam Donaldson said reversing the system would help tackle an organ shortage that leads to the deaths of hundreds of patients on waiting lists each year.

“There are simply not enough organs donated to meet the need for transplants, with one person dying every day while waiting,” he said.