London – New Proposal to Make it Easier To Remove Organs From Deceased Patients Without Consent

London – Britain's prime minister called for overhauling the country's organ donation system to make it easier for doctors to remove body parts from deceased patients without prior consent.

Gordon Brown noted that more than a thousand people die in Britain each year waiting for organ transplants.
Switching to a "opt-out" system – in which consent is presumed – could save thousands of lives, he wrote.

Under current British law, organs may be removed only from patients who make their consent known.
An "opt-out" system would presume consent unless potential donors explicitly registered their disapproval.

Patients' rights groups were skeptical."We don't think a private decision, which is a matter of individual conscience, should be taken by the state," said Katherine Murphy, a spokeswoman for Britain's Patients Association. [AP]