Open AccessThe ethics of increasing organ donation
Author(s) -
Keith Rigg
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
bulletin of the royal college of surgeons of england
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1478-7075
pISSN - 1473-6357
DOI - 10.1308/147363510x506810
Subject(s) - organ donation , donation , waiting list , medicine , population , ethical issues , population ageing , business , family medicine , intensive care medicine , surgery , transplantation , law , political science , environmental health , engineering ethics , engineering
The demand for organ donors has increased in recent years, due in part to an ageing population and advances in medicine that mean more people are able to benefit. This demand significantly outstrips supply. Few people die in a way that means their organs can be donated and, even if they do, in 40% of cases their relatives do not consent to donation. Subsequently, around 8,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant in the UK and it is predicted that 1,000 of these will die while waiting.