Opt-out laws designed to make organ donation easier may have actually made it harder, says research

Leah McLaughlin

Opt-out laws designed to make organ donation easier may have actually made it harder, says research

Leah McLaughlin

School of Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

Abstract

In 2020, England introduced an opt-out system for organ donation with the aim of making it easier for organs to be donated after a person’s death. The Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 assumed that unless someone explicitly opted out, they consented to organ donation.

This change was expected to boost the number of organ donations and, ultimately, save more lives. But research by my colleagues and I reveals a different story. Rather than simplifying organ donation, the law has created more confusion and complications. This may help explain why organ donation rates haven’t recovered from the drop seen during the pandemic.

Original language	English
Specialist publication	The Conversation
Publication status	Published - 8 Oct 2024

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 4 Quality Education

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https://theconversation.com/opt-out-laws-designed-to-make-organ-donation-easier-may-have-actually-made-it-harder-says-research-228708Licence: CC BY-ND

Potential donor family behaviours, experiences and decisions following implementation of the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 in England: A qualitative study
McLaughlin, L., Mays, N., Al-Haboubi, M., Williams, L., Bostock, J., Boadu, P. & Noyes, J., Feb 2025, In: Intensive & critical care nursing. 86, 103816.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
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Trends in organ donation in England, Scotland and Wales in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and ‘opt-out' legislation
O'Neill, S., Thomas, K., McLaughlin, L., Boadu, P., Williams, L., Al-Haboubi1, M., Bostock, J., Noyes, J. & Mays, N., 31 Jul 2024, In: PLoS ONE. 19, 7, e0306541.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
78 Downloads (Pure)

Cite this

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Opt-out laws designed to make organ donation easier may have actually made it harder, says research

Abstract

UN SDGs

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Research output

Potential donor family behaviours, experiences and decisions following implementation of the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019 in England: A qualitative study

Trends in organ donation in England, Scotland and Wales in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and ‘opt-out' legislation

Cite this