Organ and Tissue donation made easier

The ACT Legislative Assembly today passed the Transplantation and Anatomy Amendment Bill 2011 which streamlines the process for organ and tissue donation in the Territory - an important step taken during the second annual DonateLife week.

"The Act has been amended in order to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, timely delivery and quality of services in the area of organ and tissue donation," the Chief Minister said

Last year ACT organ and tissue donors gave life and healing to more than 76 people.

"It is timely that the bill has passed in a week that aims to promote discussion around organ and tissue donation. I am also hopeful that the amendments made today will see an increase in organ and tissue donation and retrieval rates in the ACT.

"The Act passed today will enable an increased number of designated officers who can authorise the removal of organs and tissue from the body of a deceased person in an ACT hospital.

"It is hoped that this will ensure when organs and tissue become available from a donor that the health system can move more quickly to ensure those donations are successfully transplanted to the body of a living person or for other therapeutic, medical or scientific purposes.

"Secondly, the Act will allow authorised and trained tissue retrievalists to retrieve all tissue (musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, eye and skin tissue) and not just eye tissue. This amendment will greatly improve access to tissue donation and retrieval services in the ACT," the Chief Minister said.

The amendments made to the Act will also ensure consistency with corresponding legislation in NSW, and are in line with the Council of Australian Governments Australia (COAG) endorsed national reforms in organ and tissue donation, and their establishment of a national eye and tissue donation and transplantation network.

"This is a much needed reform that will see improvements in organ and tissue donation, transplantation success and increased donations across the board," the Chief Minister concluded.