In May 2007, the European Commission issued a communication relating to organ donation and transplantation. This made a number of proposals for actions which were designed to help increase the supply of donor organs across the EU. The two major elements were: first, the introduction of a directive aimed at setting standards for the quality and safety of organ donation and transplantation across the EU; and, second, the establishment of an action plan for closer cooperation between Member States in sharing experiences and best practice. This Report brings together evidence relating to the Commission's proposals and draws conclusions about their merits. It also sets out evidence received about a range of matters relating to organ donation which are not within Community competence but which are of central relevance to the shortage of organs for donation: the Organ Donation Taskforce's recent recommendations for the re-organisation of the health infrastructure in the UK; and the proposal, by the Chief Medical Officer for England, that current legislation in England should be changed in order to create a "presumed consent" or "opt-out" system for organ donation in place of the existing "opt-in" system. The Committee's conclusion is that the proposals set out in the Commission's communication would help to raise the numbers of organs available for transplantation as well as the overall safety and quality of those organs. The proposed directive should not be overly bureaucratic and should not inhibit the application of expert clinical judgement and informed patient choice.

A proposal for resolving tensions between professionals and society regarding tissue for transplants and research, while properly protecting donors' interests.

Additional written evidence is contained in Vol. 2, available on the Committee website at www.parliament.uk/welshcom

Organ shortage is an ongoing problem in many countries. The needless death and suffering which have resulted necessitate an investigation into potential solutions. This examination of contemporary ethical means, both practical and policy-oriented, of reducing the shortfall in organs draws on the experiences of a range of countries. The authors focus on the resolution and negotiation of ethical conflict, examine systems approaches such as the 'Spanish model' and the US Breakthrough Collaboratives, evaluate policy proposals relating to incentives, presumed consent, and modifications regarding end-of-life care, and evaluate the greatly increased use of (non-heart-beating) donors suffering circulatory death, as well as living donors. The proposed strategies and solutions are not only capable of resolving the UK's own organ-shortage crisis, but also of being implemented in other countries grappling with how to address the growing gap between supply and demand for organs.

Transplantation is a medically successful and cost-effective way to treat people whose organs have failed--but not enough organs are available to meet demand. T. M. Wilkinson explores the major ethical problems raised by policies for acquiring organs. Key topics include the rights of the dead, the role of the family, and the sale of organs.

Providing a clear and accessible guide to medical law, this work contains extracts from a wide variety of academic materials so that students can acquire a good understanding of a range of different perspectives.

The first holistic and thematic study of EU health law, and its implications, through its own internal logics.

These past years, the media have focused public attention on malpractice in the field of organ donation, with the risk of forgetting that organ donation provides an extraordinary hope of saving lives and gives a splendid example of human solidarity. Transplantation was made possible by the development of scientific and medical knowledge together with the dedication of skilled teams throughout Europe. The shortage of organs and tissue is the key factor for all the problems within the system: the size of the European Union will help to deal with this reality and requires the cooperation of medical teams, dispatching organisms and public health authorities at the European level. The transparency of a faultless organization, from the technical and ethical points of view will increase the public's support of organ donation and decrease organ shortage. The development of the European Union, resulting in free movement within the international market, makes harmonisation of the donation system unavoidable. From the Introduction by Magda de Galan, Belgian Minister of Health.

Evidence taken before Sub-committee G (Social Policy and Consumer Affairs).

This new definitive resource addresses the fundamental principles of anaesthesia, underpinning sciences and the full spectrum of clinical anaesthetic practice. An international team of experts provide trustworthy, effective, and evidence-based guidance enabling clinicians to provide the very best clinical care to patients.