Jackie Doyle Price MP: Lack of understanding about organ donation process 'breeds fear'
3 min read
Health minister Jackie Doyle-Price says misconceptions about organ donation have "lead to unnecessary deaths".
I have the real privilege of being responsible for organ donation and I am constantly humbled by the courageous accounts from donor families of how they came to make the decision which went on to save lives. They are truly inspirational.
I am really pleased to report that this year, more lives have been saved than ever before by donation. This is great news, but there is always more to be done.
In particular, I want to address the fact that you are more likely to die whilst waiting for a transplant if you are black or Asian than if you are white.
There are a number of reasons for this.
If you are black or Asian you are more likely to suffer from conditions which require a transplant. We know that the most successful transplants are where there is a strong genetic match. Without higher rates of donation from these communities we will be able to save fewer lives.
Some believe that their faith prevents donation. There is uncertainty whether their rituals at death accommodate donation. There are taboos around even having the discussion for some. These are myths that we need to challenge.
Most significantly, we have found that the biggest barrier is trust. There is a real lack of understanding about the process of donation. This breeds fear.
We need to tackle these misconceptions. For example - all major UK religions — including Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism — support the idea of organ donation and transplantation. It is vital that we tackle misinformation with facts, encouraging conversation and debate, to get these communities talking about donation.
These misconceptions cannot be tackled from Westminster. We need the right messages, delivered by the right messengers, directly to members of these communities.
MPs are known and trusted within their communities. We have direct relationships with those groups and organisations who can encourage these conversations.
That’s why yesterday I launched a toolkit on organ donation for MPs, to help them drive this crucial issue forward in their own areas.
This toolkit will provide MPs with tailored statistics about the need for organ donation in their own constituency, as well as information to help them tackle any misconceptions about donation that they encounter in their conversations.
There will also be support to help them set up events with faith leaders – who are hugely influential in getting the message about donation across. Armed with this knowledge, I hope that MPs embrace the opportunity to discuss organ donation with their black and Asian constituents.
For too long myths and misconceptions around donation have led to countless unnecessary deaths. Organ donation is the gift of life — and no community across the country should be left behind. I know how difficult it can be to have these sensitive conversations. Donation is a deeply emotive, personal subject, and it is by no means an easy discussion to have.
As MPs, we cannot and must not shy away from encouraging more people to join the organ donation register – so we’re all doing our bit to save lives. What better day’s work is there than that?
The toolkit will be available on the NHS Blood and Transplant website
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