Introduction

Organ donation takes healthy tissues and organs from one person so that they can be transplanted into another person, replacing organs that are not healthy.

Organs which are suitable for transplant include the heart, kidneys, lungs, liver and pancreas.

Certain organs, such as a kidney, can be donated by a living donor who can live a healthy lifestyle without the organ. To become a living donor, you must give informed consent.

Most organs are only transplanted after the death of the donor.

You can become an organ donor by carrying a donor card or having your wishes noted on your driving licence. You should tell your family or next-of-kin that you wish to donate your organs after your death. Your family or next-of-kin can inform a doctor or another healthcare professional in a hospital if they are asked about your wishes regarding organ donation.

Having a medical condition does not necessarily prevent you from becoming a donor (an individual decision will be made by a healthcare professional at the time of your death).

The transplant team is separate from the medical team that treats you if you are ill. Organs are only removed when 2 doctors, working independently, have certified that the person is dead following a series of strict tests.

It is important to know that the removal of organs is carried out with the same care and respect as any other operation. Organ donation does not disfigure the body or change the way it looks nor does it cause any delay to funeral arrangements.

Organ donors and consent

You can give your consent to organ donation by carrying an organ donor card or have your consent noted on your driving licence. Organ donor cards are available from the Irish Donor Network (see below), through the Irish Kidney Association, and in doctors' surgeries and pharmacies.

Your consent indicates your willingness to have your organs used for transplant. It does not necessarily mean that they will be used. There are various medical criteria and other conditions that must be met. To ensure safe transplantation, the death must take place in a hospital. Your next-of-kin should know of your wish to be an organ donor but they are not bound to abide by your wishes and their consent is always required.

In all cases, the medical team requests the next-of-kin to donate the organs of a deceased person. In practice, the consent of the next-of-kin is accepted as valid and a refusal by the next-of-kin is not contested.

Postmortems and organ donation

In situations where a death is reported to the Coroner, permission must be obtained from the Coroner before organ donation can take place, as well as the written consent of the next-of-kin. Where the Coroner grants permission for organ donation, any subsequent postmortem examination will be a limited one. Decisions about this matter are made by the Coroner in consultation with the Gardaí and medical professionals. In general, Coroners do facilitate requests for organ donation. Read more about the role of the Coroner and postmortems here.

Organ donation for transplantation is not a postmortem practice and it is conducted in an operating theatre. Consent for the retention of organs for research is a postmortem practice conducted in a mortuary.

The Irish Donor Network

The Irish Donor Network is a group of individuals and patient associations directly concerned with organ transplantation, donor families and medical co-ordinators involved in organ and tissue transplantation. Those involved in the Network are: