Call for organ donor register

The health select committee, whose report was tabled in Parliament yesterday, was concerned at New Zealand's low organ donation rates and by the inadequacies of the present system for recording donor preferences.

Since 1993, the New Zealand donor rate has fluctuated between 34 and 46 donors a year, but about 350 people are on waiting lists for organ transplants, mostly for kidneys.

The demand for kidneys is expected to increase with the rise in the incidence of diabetes.

Committee chairwoman Steve Chadwick said it was important that the national organ donor register was separated from the existing driver licensing system.

"People are not thinking about organ donation when they are applying for a licence. These decisions need to be made in an informed way," Mrs Chadwick said.

"The system for recording wishes needs to be able to record more than just yes or no. Some potential donors would allow only some organs to be taken. The system needs to be able to recognise this."

The report also recommended that the Government fund ongoing education for health professionals on organ donation and a national public awareness campaign.

The present system did not encourage discussion about organ donation between potential donors and their families, Mrs Chadwick said.

Many people were unaware that if they indicated on their driver's licence that they wished to be a donor, next-of-kin could overrule that decision after death.

The report recommended a national agency be responsible for running the organ donation system, coordinating the collection of organs and the training and education of those carrying out the collection.

The Government is expected to respond to the report in February.