Organ donor reform across Australia
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG), has agreed to a major new national reform package to establish Australia as a world leader in organ donation for transplantation.
Despite more than 90% of Australians supporting the idea of organ donation, Australia has a longstanding shortage of organs for transplantation.
To address this, the Government proposes a total Commonwealth funding package of $151.1 million, including new funding of $136.4 million over four years, to boost the number of life-saving organ transplants for Australians.
This is an important development for the 1,800 Australians on transplant waiting lists.
The key features of the reform package include:
- $67 million to fund dedicated organ donation specialist doctors and other staff in public and private hospitals;
- $46 million to establish a new independent national authority to coordinate national organ donation initiatives.
- $17 million in new funding for hospitals to meet additional staffing, bed, and infrastructure costs associated with organ donation.
- $13.4 million to continue national public awareness and education;
- $1.9 million for counselling for potential donor families; and
- Other significant measures, including enhanced professional education programs, consistent clinical protocols, ‘clinical trigger’ checklists, and data collection for organ transplants in hospitals.
A new national organ donation and transplantation authority will be established by 1 January 2009.
The package developed, has drawn together the best international evidence and practice, as well as the expertise of stakeholders such as the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand, the Cognate Committee on Organ and Tissue Donation, and ShareLife.
The package does not change the framework of legal consent for donation.
The families of all potential donors will be supported to make the choice of whether to donate at what is a very difficult time.
