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Organ donation & your Will

Posted on June 14th 2018

Should you leave organ donation instructions in your Will?

We would always advise our clients not to do so. By the time your Will is read, it will be too late for you to become an organ donor. Welsh Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, echoed this sentiment in a recent BBC article. So, what can you do to make sure your family knows about your organ donation decision before it’s too late?

What is organ donation?

Organ donation is when you give an organ to someone who needs a transplant. Thousands of people in the UK every year are waiting for organ transplants. Sadly, around three people die every day in the UK whilst waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

You can choose to donate all, or just some of your organs when you register as a donor.

Organ donation is a very personal decision, but whether you would like to donate your organs or not, it is important to take the following steps:

  1. Take action:

If you live in Wales you are part of a ‘deemed consent’ system. This means that you have been auto-enrolled onto the organ donation register, and will need to opt-out if you do not wish to donate your organs.

If you live in England and wish to be an organ donor, you will need to opt-in. You can do so by signing up on the NHS Organ Donor Register here.

  1. Inform your family:

Whatever choice you make you should inform your family. The law states that the decision about whether or not to donate your organs rests with you. However, your family’s support is always sought before the donation will go ahead. Being unaware of a loved one’s donation wishes can be upsetting to families at an already difficult time.

Donations that you can make in your Will:

Whilst it’s not appropriate to list your organ donation wishes in your Will, you can donate other things. For example, you may wish to leave money to charity in the form of a ‘gift.’ Many charities offer Free Will Schemes to make it easier for you to do this.

At Oliver & Co we have partnered with Cancer Research UK to offer free wills for over 55s. In return, you are invited to leave a gift in your will to Cancer Research, although there is no obligation to do so.

To learn more about the service click here.

How can we help?

If you would like to talk to a member of our Wills and Probate team, contact us today on 01244 312306 or fill in our contact form and a Solicitor will be in touch.

Call and speak to a member of our team on 01244 312306