Islwyn MP, Chris Evans, attended Kidney Care UK and NHS Blood and Transplant’s event in Parliament to mark Organ Donation Week.
Mr Evans heard from Kidney Care UK, NHS Blood and Transplant and patient representatives about the need to reverse the impact of Covid-19 on the transplant waiting lists.
Last year in the UK, there were around 5,600 people on the kidney or kidney and pancreas transplant list across the UK last year. While over 4000 people received donated organs and tissues, there is still a shortage of donors.
In 2015, Wales led the way in the UK by introducing the Human Transplantation (Wales) Act 2013 – a soft opt-out system of organ donation, where presumed consent was given for organ donation unless the person had opted out. Deemed consent applies to everyone in Wales, except for those who are part of excluded groups.
Additionally, the Donation and Transplantation Plan for Wales: 2022-2026 which was published last year, looks to ensure the whole population of Wales can donate tissue or organs and receive a transplant whenever this is clinically possible.
Speaking after the event, Chris Evans MP said
‘It was great to meet Kidney Care UK and NHS Blood and Transplant at their event in Parliament to hear about the work they are doing to improve transplant waiting lists.
I also met with one of the patient representatives, who was also one of my constituents, and heard about her firsthand experience.
I am proud that here in Wales we are leading the way with an organ donation opt-out scheme. Our achievements have saved lives and improved people’s quality of life and shown the rest of the UK that such a scheme could work.’
