I am not bothered what they do with me when I am dead.
I have never understood why people make such a hoo ha about it. We live in a world where living, breathing human beings get tortured, abused or starved. Worry about that before worrying about what happens to dead people.
Not 100% sure but I think even if you carry a donor card the wishes of your family come first.
Proposals for NHS staff to prevent families overriding the wishes of people who have died while on the organ donor register are being considered by ministers amid moves to boost the number of organ transplants in the UK.
A strategy for bringing about a shift in people's behaviour "comparable to the changes achieved in preventing drink-driving or stopping smoking" is included in a draft document outlining ways of making big increases in organ donations and transplants. The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) believes a more firm but polite stance with bereaved families would ensure donors' wishes were more often respected – at present they are overridden in 45% of cases.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/apr/11/organ-donation-drive-prevent-overriding
It's kinda shocking. Technically, my mum's probably my next of kin, and to think that someone I dislike would have the ability to override my wishes seems sick.
Not that I think my mum would do that.
Yes I agree it is crazy. A person could have a well thought out intention to donate and it then made not possible by a rash snap decision of their grieving family.
I guess the only way around it would be to appoint a solicitor to take charge. It is only concrete though if they are informed of the death in time.
Would there be enough time for a lawyer to get involved?
Would it work in the opposite direction? Could a family donate a dead person's organs, even though the decedent wasn't on the list?
Yes I am sure it could work either way. Basically what the family want is what usually happens. You are probably right also in that a solicitor would not have the time to ensure the deceased persons wishes are carried out.
It might work in the case of no living relatives.
I can see how easy it would happen. Hospital staff are unlikely to spend time talking round a family, which is what it would take. They are too busy.
Funerals are also tinkered with. Someone might think they have arranged everything but the reality is the responsibility lies with the next of kin who may quite easily rearrange things.
'Death' seems to be shrouded in shit (excuse the pun)