Also:
Family consent will still be required for organs or tissues to be retrieved, both out of consideration for the family, and to make sure additional relevant information is gathered.
It is expected to make a significant difference, especially among BAME communities whose prior opt-in rates were very low and yet whose need may be higher.
Ethnicity matters when it comes to organ transplants; in the UK, a high proportion of BAME people go on to develop high blood pressure, diabetes and certain forms of hepatitis, making them more likely to need a transplant at some point in their lives.
The BAME transplant gap comes down to two main issues: kidneys in particular are more likely to be accepted by a patient’s body if they are a similar genetic match. But historically, not enough BAME people have been registered on the organ donation list, making the chances of them finding a perfect ethnic match even harder.
It may also make a bigger difference in the short term as accidents are a majour source of organs and accidents are fewer during lockdown.
