Introducing ‘opt-out’ consent for organ and tissue donation in England

We have launched a consultation about organ and tissue donation. The government wants to know what people think about proposed changes in which people are considered willing to be an organ donor after their death, unless they have ‘opted out’.

We want to find out what people think of how the changes to the system should be made, and what else they think the government needs to consider.

The defining issues of the new system are:

• how much say families have in their deceased relative’s decision to donate their organs
• when exemptions to ‘opt-out’ would be needed, and what safeguards would be necessary
• how a new system might affect certain groups depending on age, disability, race or faith