Please share widely, especially if you can alert BAME groups and readers

Thanks

Orin is a great advocate, who speaks from personal experience.

Mark R D Johnson
Emeritus Professor of Diversity in Health & Social Care
Mary Seacole Research Centre / CEEHD
De Montfort University Leicester LE1 9BH

please use e-mail: telephone messages may not be received
________________________________________
From: ACLT [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 March 2018 14:38
To: Mark Johnson
Subject: YOUR VOICE MATTERS: Make sure your views on opt-out organ donation are heard.

[http://content.delivra.com/etapcontent//ACLT_1/Opt-Out%20Consultation/OPT%20OUT%20IMAGE.PNG]




The black community is being urged to take part in a groundbreaking consultation, which is proposing fundamental changes to help increase the number of organ donors in this country, and potentially save the lives of hundreds of black people.

The government consultation is due to close on 6 March. So far nearly 13,000 people have shared their views – but less than one percent of respondents identify as being African Caribbean.

Patients from the minority ethnic communities can wait on average nine months longer for a kidney transplant than a white patient, due to the lack of suitable organs. Such a delay can cause severe deterioration in health; leading to further problems which may prevent a transplant taking place or in some cases result in death.

Whilst organs can be donated regardless of race, organ transplants are more likely to be successful and last longer if they have a closer genetic match.

The government launched the major public consultation to gather views on plans to introduce a new opt-out system, where there will be presumed consent for organ donation – as opposed to the current system where people need to actively opt-in to donate their organs.

Whilst out attending a meeting the other day, one of our team overheard a lady in her early 30's talking about the new opt-out law. We thought we'd share what she said below:

"I'm of the opinion once I'm gone, I'm gone. I am happy to give the gift of life to someone who needs it. I know too many black people who have died waiting for organs to become available from people of the same ethnicity. That's potentially two lives lost when one could be saved.

A life is a life and I'd be honoured to save one from ANY race, but it's our race who suffer the most. It's a sad and sorry situation to be in when your own race is being wiped out by it's people..."

To have a say on the future of organ donation visit engage.dh.gov.uk/organdonation<https://engage.dh.gov.uk/organdonation>.

Best Wishes,

Orin Lewis
CEO and co-founder of ACLT











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