Wrexham Assembly Member Lesley Griffiths is backing a major public awareness campaign aimed at highlighting and explaining the upcoming changes to the organ donation law, due to come into force in Wales next year.
The first in a series of public information television, radio and digital adverts will be broadcast this week, signalling the start of the next phase of the Welsh Government’s It’s Time to Talk campaign.
This extra publicity is taking place during the lead up to National Transplant Week, which runs from 7-13 July, and is all part of a wider campaign to raise awareness and understanding amongst the general Welsh public of the new organ donation legislation.
Last year, an historic vote was passed in the National Assembly for Wales as AMs voted in favour of introducing a system of presumed consent for organ donation in a bid to drive up the number of donors.
From December 2015, adults in Wales will become a donor either by registering a decision to opt in or by doing nothing at all, in which case it will be presumed they have agreed for their organs to be donated. If an individual does not want to be a donor they can register a decision to opt out.
The Welsh Government hopes the change in the law will increase transplant rates by 25%.
36 people in Wales died last year while waiting for a transplant organ.
Wrexham AM Griffiths said:
“The Human Transplantation Bill is one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed by the National Assembly for Wales.”
“Quite simply, organ donation saves lives and the new law will help increase the number of people in Wales on the donor register.”
“By running adverts on television, radio and social media, the Welsh Government hope to help raise public awareness, increase understanding of the changes and encourage more people across the nation to discuss the subject with their families.”
“This way, Wales will be prepared for the landmark legislation when introduced in December 2015.”
