Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week: sign on to save lives

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18 February 2005
ABB016/05

The Australian Government will send every Australian household an organ donation consent form as part of a new campaign to increase organ donation rates.

The government has joined with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to encourage more adult Australians to register to become organ donors.

From April, every household will be sent a co-signed letter from the government and the guild inviting people to register their consent on the Australian Organ Donor Register.

Tony Abbott today announced this commitment at the launch in Melbourne of Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week.

This follows a decision by health ministers last month to change the Australian Organ Donor Register to a register of consent, rather than intent. Under the new arrangements, clinicians will not need to seek families’ consent when a person has registered legally valid consent through the Australian Organ Donor Register. Instead, clinicians will advise families of the individual’s legally expressed wishes and ask whether the deceased person may have changed his or her mind since registering.

Organ donors save lives. Organ and tissue transplantation can help Australians suffering life threatening illnesses like heart, kidney or liver disease, diabetes and cystic fibrosis.

In 2004, there were 218 organ donors in Australia, including cricketer David Hookes who donated his organs when he died tragically in January 2004. Close to 2,000 Australians are waiting for an organ transplant at any time. Many die on transplant waiting lists.

That is why the Australian Government is strengthening the Australian Organ Donor Register to become a register of legal consent. If you register using the new form, your family will not be faced with a difficult choice in the event of your death.

It is important for families to discuss organ donation. Research shows that families are far less likely to object if donation has previously been discussed.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has agreed to the use of Australian Government funds from the Third Community Pharmacy Agreement for new registration brochures and the letters. State and territory governments and Australians Donate have contributed to the development of this important initiative.

The new consent registration brochure will be available from next week through Medicare offices and state- and territory-based distribution channels, and from community pharmacies the following week.

For more information call Mr Abbott's office on ph 02 6277 7220.