A SINGLE mishandled case of organ donation under a new system to be introduced in Wales could wreak “havoc” on the number of potential donors and organs available, a senior Gwent doctor has warned.

Professor John Saunders fears the Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill creates “hazards” for the present transplantation programme, with the Organ Donor Register a particular cause for worry.

The Bill will introduce a ‘soft’ opt-out system of organ donation in Wales, in which people will be deemed to have consented to donate organs in the event of their death, unless they have stated otherwise.

Its aim is to boost the number of potential donors and organs available.

The Assembly’s health and social services committee has issued a report on the Bill, in which it agrees with its general principles.

But the report reveals a breadth of differing opinion on the idea of changing the organ donation system and Professor Saunders, a consultant physician at Abergavenny’s Nevill Hall Hospital, who gave evidence to the committee in his role as chairman of the Royal College of Physicians Ethical Issues in Medicine Committee, is concerned about the potential for damage to be caused to the transplant programme.

He believes building public confidence in a new system is vital, but has concerns over the potential for confusion given that there are currently two organ donor registers, one for Wales, one for the UK, and over the potential role for families in the process.

He is quoted in the report: “The problems with the Bill are the hazards it creates for damaging the present programme of transplantation.

That damage will be contingent on practicalities and how they are handled.

“A single mishandled opportunity in the hands of a critical media could create havoc with donation numbers; a vociferous opposition could prime the public in a negative manner if practical issues are not addressed.”

‘Difficulties keeping register up to date’

IN HIS verbal evidence to the committee at a hearing last month, Professor Saunders outlined his fears about the “enormous practical difficulties” of keeping the Organ Donor Register up to date, and how the two registers would come together.

There have been calls for a new, single UK Organ Donor Register, retaining its current role as a register of people’s wishes, while developing a new role as a register of people who opt out of organ donation in the event of their death.

“I worry about the inevitable: no human system is ever perfect,”

Professor Saunders told the committee.

“I worry about the fact that if someone were on the register, that would not be picked up and their organs would be taken.” He added that the negative publicity that could generate would be very damaging.