f.a.o.  Mr. Mark Drakeford (Chair, Health and Social Care Committee, National Assembly for Wales)

Dear Sir,

              I object in the strongest possible terms to the proposed change in the law, affecting human organ transplantation in Wales, that would be brought about if the Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill were to be passed into law.

My main objection is to the concept of 'presumed consent' (or 'deemed consent').  There is no such thing as 'presumed consent', 

because if you are in a position of 'presuming' that a person has consented, it is tantamount to an admission that the person has not actually consented.  It is an absurd notion, dreamed up in the corridors of Cardiff Bay or Cathays Park.

The Bill would severely diminish the role of the family of the deceased person, and possibly eliminate it entirely, in deciding whether or not to donate an organ -- and I object strongly to that.

There is controversy over the definition of death, for the purpose of transplantation in the terms of this Bill. 'Brain stem death' is not

actual death, as far as I am concerned.

The concept of 'presumed consent' or 'deemed consent' totally negates the concept of the freely expressed wish of the deceased,

in life, to donate his/her organs in the event of death.

There is no conclusive evidence that the enactment and consequent operation of this particular Bill would increase the rate of organ donation in Wales. Experience in countries that have introduced similar legislation gives the lie to this idea. 

Finally, I wish to state here and now that if this Bill ever becomes law, I for one will refuse to add my name to the Organ Donation

Register.

                                                                                                                Yours faithfully,

                                                                                                                           Tony Young

Swansea  
17 -1 -2013