Change in NI organ donation law 'must not lose momentum'
Video report by Sarah Clarke
Campaigners say change in organ donation law in NI must not lose momentum.
On the first anniversary of the soft opt-out system of organ donation becoming law in England, British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland (BHF NI) and the Donate4Dáithí campaign said Northern Ireland must not be left behind.
Thursday marks one year since Max and Keira's Law took effect in England which means consent will be presumed with people having to opt out if they wish not to be a donor. In March this year Scotland moved to a soft opt-out system and Wales became the first country in the UK to implement a soft opt-out system for organ donation in 2015.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a soft opt-out system of organ donation.
A public consultation to seek the public's views on how to introduce a soft opt-out organ donation system closed in February this year and the Department of Health is currently analysing the responses before bringing legislation forward to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland Fearghal McKinney said we must maintain the pace here to make legislative change:
"Today England is marking one year of Max and Kiera's law which is offering patients the much-needed hope that a donor could be found before it's too late. We also need that hope for patients in Northern Ireland.
"The Health Minister Robin Swann has been a great supporter for the change in law here and we look forward to him bringing legislation to the Assembly as quickly as possible, informed by the consultation responses.
"We have a great opportunity here to change the lives of those who are on the transplant waiting list. We have seen the difference the change has made in Wales since 2015, where family consent increased by nearly 50 per cent in the first two years after the change to an opt-out system. We can't delay any longer in starting Northern Ireland on that journey." Latest figures show that as of 31 March 2021 there were 115 people waiting for an organ transplant in Northern Ireland, with 16 of them waiting on a new heart.
Under a new soft opt-out system in Northern Ireland, the family would continue to be consulted about donation as well as considerations around faith and beliefs.
Dáithí MacGabhann from West Belfast was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which essentially means he only has half a working heart.
The four-year-old has been waiting on the gift of a new heart for almost three years.
His parents Máirtín and Seph and their families have been leading campaigners for a change in the law here.
Máirtín said: "It is great to see England celebrate one year of having Max and Keira's Law in place and that it is already helping to save more lives.
"We have faith in Minister Swann and have had a very positive relationship with him and the health committee since the return to Stormont. Whenever Dáithí sees Robin Swann on the news, he turns and tells everyone that his mate is on TV."
Dáithí and his family flew to England at the weekend for an appointment with his consultant.
"Dáithí has just returned from the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and although Dáithí remains stable, it was very worrying to hear from our consultant that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought a halt to quite a lot of the transplant activity," he added.
"We are beyond grateful that Dáithí has remained stable but to hear that there has not been a lot of transplant activity recently does scare us.
"The time is now to do this and if the law is not passed in this mandate, then it would be disastrous for our campaign. We have spent so much time uniting politicians and parties on the question and have gathered huge support, soft opt-out organ donation must go through for the benefit of all those people waiting on the gift of life."