An independent report to clarify the rules on organ transplants for NHS patients and non-UK EU residents was published by Elisabeth Buggins, former chair of the Organ Donation Taskforce.
The report was commissioned by the Health Secretary, earlier this year, following concerns about the number of organs from deceased UK donors being transplanted into non-UK resident EU nationals each year. The recommendations, which have been broadly accepted by the DH, will help to ensure public confidence in the fairness of the organ allocation system. Immediate steps will now be taken to implement the report’s recommendations including:
• Seeking agreement from devolved health administrations to ban all private clinical practice in the UK involving solid organs donated after death within the NHS, from 1 October 2009.
• Establishing an implementation group to work with NHS Blood and Transplant and commissioners of transplantation to monitor referrals from overseas.
• Supporting the development of a new liver allocation scheme to build greater transparency into the allocation process.
• Developing DH guidance for transplant centres to provide clarification on the eligibility criteria for people from abroad.
• Raising with colleagues across the EU the need to build capacity or expertise in developing transplant programmes in Member States or the building of reciprocal agreements between neighbouring countries
