| I recently asked a couple of MP's if they would ask some questions on my behalf. Below are the questions, the first one has been replied to, the replies to the others are due in a few days and i'll post up the answers as they become available. Should be interesting!
4191 (2005). Dr Wayne Mapp to the Minister of Health (31 March 2005): Does a 'living' organ donor become elevated on the waiting list if they subsequently develop renal failure necessitating a transplant; if not why not? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: No. All kidneys are allocated according to the algorithm agreed to by the New Zealand renal physicians and transplant surgeons. The details were published in the New Zealand Medical Journal. (Dittmer ID, Roake J. The NZ National Kidney Allocation Scheme. New Zealand Medical Journal 2000; 113: 253-5.)
Allocation is assigned by closeness of HLA (tissue typing) match and time waiting on the list. There is a very small additional point score for paediatric patients. 4461 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Is there is a law that prevents direct donation from deceased persons, if so, what is it? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: The Human Tissue Act 1964 sets out the consent framework for organ donation, however it does not refer to direct donation.
In practice, organs would not be accepted for donation if there were conditions attached. 4462 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Can she advise how many, if any, families of deceased persons have agreed to the donation of organs with conditions, for instance 'directed donation', over the past five years? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: There have been no families in the past five years that have agreed to donation with conditions attached, that is, directed donation.
This reply also covers written questions 4463, 4464, 4465, 4467 and 4468 (2005). 4463 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Can she advise how many, if any, families of deceased persons have agreed to the donation of organs, but with conditions, and what were those conditions? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Question No. 04462 (2005) 4464 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Can she advise how many, if any, families of deceased persons have agreed to the donation of organs with conditions such as 'directed donation'; how many requests were declined and how many accepted? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Question No. 04462 (2005) 4465 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Can she advise how many, if any, families of deceased persons have agreed to the donation of organs but with 'directed donation' condition, what were the conditions of the acceptance? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Question No. 04462 (2005) 4466 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Can she advise on average, how many lives can be saved, or the quality of life improved, from one organ donor? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: One person potentially can donate heart or heart valves (2 recipients), lungs (1 or 2 recipients), liver (1 or 2 recipients), kidneys (2 recipients), pancreas (will be transplanted with 1 kidney to the same recipient), corneas (2 recipients), bone (a number of recipients). 4467 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
From the number of organ donors who requested 'directed donation' and subsequently their organs declined, if any, how many lives would have been saved or quality of life improved, had the organs been accepted? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Question No. 04462 (2005) 4468 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
If organs are declined due to non-acceptance of 'directed donation', do the family of the potential donor have any avenues of recourse? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Question No. 04462 (2005) 4469 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What is the official policy on 'directed donation' of organs; and who decides the policy? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: Directed donation of organs is not practised in New Zealand, Australia or England. Internationally the practice is that organ or tissue donation by deceased donors is an unconditional or anonymous act. Donations are gratefully accepted by the health and disability system and allocated to those who are in the best position to benefit from them. This is a clinical practice that has the support of the Ministry of Health.
The Review of the Regulation of Human Tissue and Tissue-based Therapies Discussion Document sought views on whether the donation of organs or tissues from deceased person should remain unconditional. A clear majority of respondents to this question felt that the new legislative framework should make it clear that the donation of organs and tissues was an 'unconditional gift'. 4470 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Can she advise as of 24 March 2005, how many people are on the organ transplant waiting list? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: As of 6 April 2005 there were 382 people waiting for organ transplants as follows:
Kidney 350
Heart 8
Lungs 6
Heart/lung 1
Liver 12
Pancreas 5
This reply also covers written question 4471 (2005). 4471 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Can she advise what is the breakdown of organs required by those currently on the transplant waiting list? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Question No. 04470 (2005)
4472 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What is the breakdown of ethnicity of those currently on the organ transplant waiting list? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: Answer attached. click here 4473 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What are the ages of those currently on the organ transplant waiting list broken down by ten year bands? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: Answer attached. click here 4474 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What is the average wait for a kidney transplant in New Zealand? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: The average wait for a kidney transplant varies according to blood group, but is around three years. 4475 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What is the average wait for a liver transplant in New Zealand? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: 75 Days 4476 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What is the average wait for a heart transplant in New Zealand? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: Nine months. 4477 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Have any people been removed from the transplant waiting list due to being too far advanced in disease to benefit from a transplant; if so, how many in each of the past five years? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: Answer attached click here 4478 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
Has the Ministry of Health considered offering to pay funeral costs of organ donors as an incentive to raise the number of people willing to be organ donors; if so what were the conclusions? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: No. However, the Ministry of Health has considered other initiatives to increase the organ donor rate, such as funding education programmes for health professionals. 4479 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
How many people have died whilst on the organ transplant waiting list in each of the past five years? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: Answer attached. click here 4480 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What is the breakdown of organs required for people who died whilst on the transplant waiting list over the past five years? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the Member to my answer to Question No. 04479 (2005) 4482 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What languages are organ donation informational flyers available in? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: English 4513 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (5 April 2005):
Can she advise when is the review of the Human Tissue Act 1964 expected to be completed? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I expect to have a new Human Tissue Bill introduced to the House and referred to Select committee for consideration in 2005.
This reply also covers written question 4514 (2005). 4514 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health (5 April 2005):
When is the Human Tissue Act 1964 review expected to go before the Health Select Committee? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: I refer the member to answer to written question 4513 (2005). Dr Paul Hutchison to the Minister of Health: Can she advise what is the official policy on 'unconditional
gift' of organs; and where can this policy be found? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) Replied: Internationally and in New Zealand the practice is that organ
or tissue donation by deceased donors is an unconditional act. This is a clinical practice that has the support of the Ministry of Health. The current practice around unconditional organ donation is not written into Statute. The Review of the Regulation of Human Tissue and Tissue-based Therapies Discussion Document sought views on whether the donation of organs or tissues from deceased person should remain unconditional. A clear majority of respondents to this question felt that the new legislative framework should make it clear that the donation of organs and
tissues was an 'unconditional gift'.
4508 (2005). Sue Kedgley to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
What is the average cost of providing dialysis treatment to persons with renal disease? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: The Ministry of Health does not hold this information 4509 (2005). Sue Kedgley to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
How many New Zealanders have renal dialysis as a result of diabetes? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: The best source of information is the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis Register jointly funded by New Zealand and Australia. Annual reports are available on its website (http://www.anzdata.org.au). The latest data reported is for 2003, when there were 653 people in New Zealand on dialysis with diabetes assigned as the clinical cause of their renal failure. 4510 (2005). Sue Kedgley to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
How many people began renal dialysis as a result of type 2 diabetes in the past year? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: In 2003 there were 170 people who started dialysis with type 2 diabetes assigned as the clinical cause of their renal failure. 4511 (2005). Sue Kedgley to the Minister of Health (4 April 2005):
How many people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year? Hon Annette King (Minister of Health) replied: The number of people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is not collected.
However, the number of people with type 2 diabetes who are accessing free annual checks under the “Get Checked” programme within primary health organisations is collected. District health boards are reporting their “Get Checked” data for last year and the Ministry of Health will include national results in the publications Implementing the New Zealand Health Strategy and The Health and Independence Report.
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