SCIENCE HUMANISED: PART 2 – DR. CLARKE & DR. QASIM INTERVIEW, Organ Donation.

Bringing both insight and empathy to the subject, Dr. Clarke offers us an in-depth take on the issue based on her unique experience in palliative care.  

Dr. Asif Qasim, a consultant cardiologist, reinforces the discussion, covering the fundamental importance of public awareness regarding organ donation, the medical advancements in transplantation, and the future possibilities including stem cell research and xenotransplantation.

Dr. Clarke, a palliative care doctor and author of ‘The Story of the Heart’, shared the remarkable case of two nine-year-old children, Kira and Max, whose story led to groundbreaking legal changes in organ donation laws in the UK. Chiefly the change from an opt-in to an opt-out system, implemented in 2020.

This is where at the point of end of life care discussions/planning, a patient is automatically considered a potential organ donor when they die, unless they’ve specified otherwise or are in one of the excluded groups. These include those who record their decision to opt out on the Organ Donor Register, people under 18 or who have lived in England for less than 12 months, and those who lack the capacity to understand the change in legislation. 

Both specialists emphasise that what underlines this hard-hitting, yet essential matter, is awareness. That the need for open conversations about death is where it starts and the gaining of knowledge for the benefit of all is where it ends.

With approximately 8,000 people on the UK transplant list at any given time, including 250 children*, Dr. Clarke and Dr. Asif Qasim shed a light on the challenges faced within the NHS, advocating for the remedy of transparent discussions between HCPs and patients.

From big decisions to small, it all starts with a conversation. 

If this has caught your attention, and you would like more information on the subject please visit the NHS website for Organ Donations. Alternatively, to become a blood donor, visit NHS Give blood. 

Have you watched part 1 of this episode? Click here to listen to Dr. Rachel Clarke and Dr. Asif Qasim discuss the importance of empathy in communication, and the need for better training and support for HCPs.
 

*https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk

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