Organ Donation

Paul Uppal Excerpts

Wednesday 9th November 2011 Westminster Hall

[Paul Uppal (Wolverhampton South West) (Con)]

It is an honour to serve under your stewardship, Mr Davies. We have half an hour in which to debate this issue, and I will try to be brief, because a number of hon. Members have told me that they may wish to intervene, and my hon. Friend the Member for Montgomeryshire (Glyn Davies) has said that he would like to speak in the debate. I have always found his contributions, whether here or in the House, valuable and I am sure that he will only enhance the debate, and give his personal perspective and the view from Wales.

Organ donation sounds far removed from most people’s lives. They have never considered it, or believe that it is something to consider later in life or when they are in need. We all know people who are waiting for donations and people who have received them. Perhaps the thought makes us uncomfortable, because it forces us to confront the reality of life and death, but we must not ignore the fact that more than 7,500 people are on a waiting list for a donor organ. Whatever the reasons and whatever the causes, profound changes in medicine have provided the ability to save people from illnesses with donated organs, but we are still grappling with a shortage of donors.

Although there are people on waiting lists, things are getting better. Since 2007-08, there has been a 26% increase in the number of people who have agreed to be organ donors after their death, and today there are 18 million donors on the NHS organ donor register, but we must hope for more. With many groups that work tirelessly to ensure that one day the waiting list will be short, I want to raise awareness throughout the country, and to change people’s perception so that being a registered donor will become the cultural norm.

I am here today because I do not believe that those improvements have gone far enough. I am worried that the target to increase the number of people who become organ donors after their death by 50% in 2012-13 will not be met unless the Government take urgent action. I am particularly worried that not enough progress has been made to increase organ donation in black and minority ethnic communities. People of black and minority ethnic origin are three to four times more likely to need an organ transplant, but are significantly under-represented on the NHS organ donor register. When asked, 75% of families of potential donors from BME communities refused to give consent for their loved one to become an organ donor. That must not continue. As a member of the BME community, as well as representing a seat with a large BME population, I know that we must continue to work hard to maintain a dialogue within those communities, and start to break down some of the stigma that organ donation may hold.

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this extremely important debate. My constituency has a BME community that is centred around one ward—Abbey—where life expectancy is 17 years lower than other parts of Warwickshire. I am sure that my constituents in that ward will be heartened to hear my hon. Friend’s comments, but does he agree that we need to raise the profile of these important issues, particularly organ donation and transplantation, as well as diabetes and so on, in those communities to try to deal with those health inequalities?

[Paul Uppal]

My hon. Friend makes a valuable point. I know how hard he works with the BME community in his constituency, and he is a champion of such issues. I have been heartened by most of my colleagues, who have shown a wide and passionate interest in specific concerns involving the BME community. He is right to highlight the issue.

[Guy Opperman (Hexham) (Con)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. It is great that he is standing up for such an important issue, and for the BME community. The issue affects all hon. Members, whether their constituencies are urban, or rural like mine. I declare an interest in that I once thought I needed a kidney donation because I tore my left kidney in half at Stratford when I was a jockey. That was due to poor jockeyship, and a good doctor saved me. My question is simple. Does my hon. Friend believe that GPs could play a greater role in the community in stimulating more organ donation?

[Paul Uppal]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. This is a difficult issue, and the nub of the problem is that clinicians and individuals in our communities often find it difficult to talk about the matter and to face reality. I see no reason why it would be harmful if GPs spoke openly and candidly about it to people who attend their surgeries. They could highlight the matter, and spread the broader message among the broader populace about how vital the need is.

[Mike Weatherley (Hove) (Con)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. Does he recognise the work of those calling for an opt-out system of organ donation, which includes national campaigns such as the British Heart Foundation, as well as local campaigners, including Valerie Paynter, who underwent a kidney transplant 20 years ago, which saved her life? Her story is very moving. Will my hon. Friend encourage hon. Members to sign my recently tabled early-day motion, although I appreciate that he does not sign them?

[Paul Uppal]

My hon. Friend is correct: I do not sign early-day motions. On the opt-out, we have made some progress, and we should continue on that route, but increase the pace. I have seen some of the research from various task forces. Some work in 2008 suggested that there was no substantive evidence that going down that route would increase organ donation. That is probably a matter for debate another time, but my personal opinion is that we must deal with it sequentially. Let us get to 2013, then see where we are.

[Paul Flynn (Newport West) (Lab)]

If anyone is in any doubt about the desperate suffering at the moment, they should look at the evidence from my constituent, Matthew Lammas, and his family, who came to the House and talked about their six months of agony while he waited for an organ to become available. There were calls in the middle of the night, and drives of sometimes hundreds of miles with disappointment after disappointment. He came near to death, but finally and happily, he was given the heart that he needed, and he is surviving. Anyone who believes that the issue can be pushed aside should read about that family’s terrible suffering because of the lack of organs. For those who did not attend the meeting, the story is available on my blog. Unfortunately, another constituent died due to lack of an organ.

[Paul Uppal]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. No one in the Chamber would in any way, shape or form underestimate the suffering of those who need a transplant. I am a trustee of a Sikh temple, and I have been approached specifically about the matter and people’s real concern about it. I have felt the pain that many families feel. We may leave the main thrust of the debate today, but I am sure that we will revisit the issue. I accept completely what the hon. Gentleman says, but for the time being we must go along the path of sequential progress.

[Dr Daniel Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) (Con)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. He highlighted very well the fact that organ donation in urban areas is much lower than in more rural areas. That is partly due to population churn, but also because, as he rightly highlights, it is difficult to persuade people in black and ethnic minority communities to come forward and agree to organ donation. There are some cultural barriers to organ donation. How can we break down those barriers and focus on what really matters—ensuring that people have a chance of life?

[Paul Uppal]

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. As I said, I am a trustee of a Sikh temple, and I think it is important that we continue to spread that message in mosques, gurdwaras, mundas and temples in any shape or form. It needs to be consensual. It is about breaking down stigmas and prejudices that may be out there in certain communities. I would be very much in favour of anything that does that, and I have personally done that in my own constituency.

[Jason McCartney (Colne Valley) (Con)]

I thank my hon. Friend for his generosity in giving way. Many colleagues are here for this passionate debate, so perhaps next time we should have a full hour and a half for such an important issue.

We have heard the statistics. In my part of the world, Yorkshire and Humber, 581 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and 41 have died while waiting in the period 2010-11. I received a letter yesterday from a young lad aged 11, Matthew Taylor from Salendine Nook high school, which is doing a project on organ donations and the opt-in, opt-out processes. Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating Salendine high school on engaging with young people and thinking about the processes? We can debate having a soft opt-in or opt-out process, but it is great that schools are engaging young people to think about organ donation.

[Paul Uppal]

I absolutely agree. My hon. Friend makes a good point. It is important that we raise the issue. That is the function of today’s debate. I am sure that the Minister will respond to that as well. I want to allow time for my hon. Friend the Member for Montgomeryshire to make a speech, so I will try to be brief. I will practise the skill of cutting down a speech to a few minutes.

I am concerned that leadership on organ donation and transplantation might be lost and that that will jeopardise the improvements that have been made since 2008. The national clinical director for transplantation, who was overseeing the implementation of the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations, has now retired and I understand that his post is not due to be replaced. The Organ Donation Taskforce programme delivery board, which supported him in that role, has been disbanded. There is clearly a risk that in the absence of clear leadership, the improvements to date may be lost. Will the Minister tell us who is driving the agenda on organ donation and transplantation in the Department of Health, and whether the Department remains committed to the 50% increase in donors from 2007-08? What additional steps does he plan to take to ensure that that is achieved?

There is also the question of the goalposts being moved slightly further away when we reach 2013. I am sure the Minister is aware that there is no strategy for organ donation and transplantation beyond 2013, by which point all the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations should be implemented. Will the Department of Health produce a strategy to ensure that the number of organ donors and transplants continue to increase after that date?

Organ donation is a gift, and that fact should be the focus of all policies involving donation, but it would be remiss to ignore those who have given. In previous years, the Government have recognised the incredible gift that organ donors have given by welcoming their families to a reception in Downing street. I would wholeheartedly support a continuation of that tradition. We are having a reception here at the House in December. It will be hosted by the hon. Member for Derby North (Chris Williamson) in his role as chair of the all-party group on organ donation, and we would welcome the Minister’s attendance. I am sure he would enjoy meeting the families and thanking them for what they have done for others.

There are big goals in place for 2013. We are all committed to working so that we have more than 20 million people on the official donor register. As people elected to serve our constituents, we can do no more than set a good example in our own communities, so I will take a moment to encourage all MPs to ensure that they are registered organ donors. We would all like to leave a legacy, and there can be no better one than that of saving a life.