CALL FOR RETURN TO ‘OPTING IN’ ON DRIVER LICENCES TO LIFT ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION RATES

Transplant Australia is concerned about the hidden residual effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Australia’s organ and tissue donation system and has called for a retuning of the ‘yes’ donor option within state-based driver licence systems.

The peak body has also welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to consult the sector in the adoption of a new National Strategy for Organ Donation, Retrieval and Transplantation.

A key component of the strategy, according to Transplant Australia, will be increasing the number of Australians registered as organ donors as evidence shows a direct correlation between registration rates and family consent rates at the time of donation.

But the organisation also wanted federal, state and territory governments to work together under the proposed new national strategy to return the option to say “yes” to organ donation when applying for or renewing a driver’s licence.

“The year 2018 was a record-breaking year for donation in Australia with 554 donors saving the lives of 1,544 Australians. It represented the hard work of the DonateLife Network and the Organ and Tissue Authority over the past decade in reforming donation across Australia,” Transplant Australia CEO Mr Chris Thomas said.

“Unfortunately, donation since then has been severely impacted by the COVID pandemic. In 2021 the number of donors was 421 compared to the record of 554. Unfortunately for those waiting, 2022 had about the same number of donors. (359 donors to the end of October).”

In terms of eye donations, the latest data showed in 2021 there were 1,472 donors, up by 154 compared to 2020. As a result, there were 2,413 corneal transplants, which was 6% more than 2020 when 2,277 were performed.

“Despite significant success the one key area yet to change in donation is the overall family consent rate which fell to 56% in 2021,” Thomas said.

“There is a strong correlation between consent and registration – if a person is registered to be a donor, in nine out of 10 cases families will support that decision. This drops to four out of 10 when there is no knowledge of their wishes.”

In South Australia, where registration is still part of the driver’s licence, Thomas said 73% of the population is registered, with the family consent rate also 73%.