The Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, is on a mission to see NSW organ donation rates match, and ultimately exceed, those achieved by other Australian states and territories.

To that end, Minister Skinner today launched a strategy aimed at doubling the state’s organ donation rates, which are currently the lowest in the country.

“Last year NSW hospitals identified 215 potential organ donors who were medically suitable to donate,” Mrs Skinner said.

“Of those, only 77 actually donated organs … a rate of just 36 per cent.”

Mrs Skinner’s goal is to see this rate increase to meet the national target of 70 per cent.

“One organ donor can help as many as 10 people, with many more assisted when tissue is also donated.

“Unfortunately, one in six people who could have been saved by an organ donation dies waiting for a suitable donor to become available.

“This is simply not good enough,” the Minister said.

With a view to turning the situation in NSW around, the state government late last year asked the community and clinicians how they thought organ donation rates could be increased.

The strategy Mrs Skinner launched today Increasing Organ Donation in NSW: Government Plan 2012 grew out of feedback from that consultation.

Key initiatives of the strategy include:
 Transferring existing donors from the state Roads and Maritime Services organ donor register to the national Australian Organ Donor Register run by Medicare
 Increasing community education and awareness campaigns to encourage people to have discussions with their families about organ donation
 Employing specialists in hospitals to help families deal with the difficult decision about consenting to donation
 Providing guidelines for doctors to help them uphold a patient’s desire to be a donor
 Promoting living donation programs

“Donating tissues and organs saves lives; it’s as simple as that,” Mrs Skinner said.

“What is not so simple is to devise a method of promoting organ donation that is medically, ethically and legally best practice.

“I believe this strategy does just that.”

Chris Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Transplant Australia, said the way that individuals can indicate their willingness to become organ donors needs to be simplified.

“There’s no doubt that the existence of both the motor registry option and the national Australian Organ Donor Register has confused the public,” Mr Thomas said.

He said making it easier for people to “opt in” to one register was an important initiative of the strategy.

Dr Robert Herkes, State Medical Director of the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service, said clinicians need particular skills when requesting consent from families to donate a loved one’s organs.

“The NSW Government Plan identifies as a key priority the need to support clinicians to ensure they have the specialist skills required,” Dr Herkes said.

To assist in this, a comprehensive training program for specialist clinicians to be rolled out in NSW will include specific training in family conversations.

“Our key message to the community is to talk with your family about your organ donation wishes, because should the unfortunate experience ever arise where you may become a potential donor, it is your family that will be required to provide consent.

“This is always a very traumatic and difficult time, and knowing your loved one’s wishes make this decision a little easier for families,” Dr Herkes said.

He applauded the Health Minister for developing the strategy with its emphasis on addressing registries, community and professional education.

“I’m confident it will set NSW on a course towards improved donation outcomes,” Dr Herkes said.

Media contact: Jenny Dennis 0420 319 573

• non-AHHA

• Printer-friendly version