❓ Mr. Hatton asks about organ donation rates in WA and government support. The Minister for Health provides updated statistics, discusses initiatives to improve donation rates, and encourages registration and family discussions.
AnsweredQoN 80Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ORGAN
DONATION AWARENESS WEEK
80. Mr C.D. HATTON to the
Minister for Health:
I know that this week is Organ Donation Awareness Week, and
the minister has supplied members of the house with pins to highlight the
importance of discussing this issue with families and loved ones. I have been
wearing my bright pink pin and it certainly has promoted a lot of discussion
about this important issue. Could the minister update the house on the rate of
organ donation in Western Australia and how this important matter is supported
by the state government?
DONATION AWARENESS WEEK
80. Mr C.D. HATTON to the
Minister for Health:
I know that this week is Organ Donation Awareness Week, and
the minister has supplied members of the house with pins to highlight the
importance of discussing this issue with families and loved ones. I have been
wearing my bright pink pin and it certainly has promoted a lot of discussion
about this important issue. Could the minister update the house on the rate of
organ donation in Western Australia and how this important matter is supported
by the state government?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Yes, this is Organ
Donation Awareness Week and, just for the record, the badge that I also wear
was worn by most members in this house on Tuesday, but it was overtaken
yesterday by the ovarian cancer day badge, which I see the shadow minister
wearing. That was yesterday, member, not today! This is still Organ Donation
Awareness Week and it is critically important that we make people aware of
organ donation. Members in this house can get registration forms if they are
not registered. Members on our side had an opportunity to access those forms
during our party room meeting, but if any other members want to get one, they
are in my office and members are welcome to come and get one. Mr Speaker, you
are not looking at me already to signal that I need to hurry, are you? I have
just got up.
The
SPEAKER : I am riveted, minister!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : We were not doing very well as a state a few years ago with our
organ donation participation rate and hence we had a lot of discussion with the
former member for Bassendean and the member for North West about opt-outs,
getting the option back on driver's licence forms, which it used to be,
and having a whole range of different initiatives to improve the rate. During
that process, changes were made so that when people were given their licences,
a form was sent out to them. The national registration team has had a lot of
support from the former government and this government, and our rates have
significantly increased.
Western Australia had one of the
lowest organ donation rates in Australia, and Tasmania had the highest rate, at
a rate of about 19 donors per million people. WA was down at 13.2 per million,
but is now up to that same figure of 19. That translates to 47 people who have
donated 166 organs. Even things like corneas are counted as organs, so now 166 organs
have been donated by 47 people.
What is more important is what is
called the conversion rate. If someone sadly passed away and their organs were
available or suitable for donation, previously only 46 per cent of people
agreed—remember it is normally families who agree—and now that
is up to 62 per cent. We think that a lot of the work that has been done to get
people registered, so that the families know that that is what they want, has
made it easier when the conversation comes up at that terribly tragic time.
When someone has lost a family member and they are distressed and devastated by
that occurrence, and then someone asks, ''Can I have the organs for
someone else?'' a lot of people just say no. They did not know what the
wishes of the patient were, so they would say no. Now that people are
registering as organ donors, the families know. We encourage people to have
these conversations with family members to say, ''Yes, if that is the
case, I want my organs donated.'' I have to say that all of my family
and relatives know that is the case for me. They can use any bit they find
useful—not that there is necessarily a lot there, but they are welcome
to any relevant parts. All of my family knows that, and I encourage members to
make sure their families know that in the event a tragedy occurs. Most of the
time, we do not see it coming, and in that way families know that a person is
willing to donate their organs. That will often save lives and improve the
quality of life for countless people in this state.
Donation Awareness Week and, just for the record, the badge that I also wear
was worn by most members in this house on Tuesday, but it was overtaken
yesterday by the ovarian cancer day badge, which I see the shadow minister
wearing. That was yesterday, member, not today! This is still Organ Donation
Awareness Week and it is critically important that we make people aware of
organ donation. Members in this house can get registration forms if they are
not registered. Members on our side had an opportunity to access those forms
during our party room meeting, but if any other members want to get one, they
are in my office and members are welcome to come and get one. Mr Speaker, you
are not looking at me already to signal that I need to hurry, are you? I have
just got up.
The
SPEAKER : I am riveted, minister!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : We were not doing very well as a state a few years ago with our
organ donation participation rate and hence we had a lot of discussion with the
former member for Bassendean and the member for North West about opt-outs,
getting the option back on driver's licence forms, which it used to be,
and having a whole range of different initiatives to improve the rate. During
that process, changes were made so that when people were given their licences,
a form was sent out to them. The national registration team has had a lot of
support from the former government and this government, and our rates have
significantly increased.
Western Australia had one of the
lowest organ donation rates in Australia, and Tasmania had the highest rate, at
a rate of about 19 donors per million people. WA was down at 13.2 per million,
but is now up to that same figure of 19. That translates to 47 people who have
donated 166 organs. Even things like corneas are counted as organs, so now 166 organs
have been donated by 47 people.
What is more important is what is
called the conversion rate. If someone sadly passed away and their organs were
available or suitable for donation, previously only 46 per cent of people
agreed—remember it is normally families who agree—and now that
is up to 62 per cent. We think that a lot of the work that has been done to get
people registered, so that the families know that that is what they want, has
made it easier when the conversation comes up at that terribly tragic time.
When someone has lost a family member and they are distressed and devastated by
that occurrence, and then someone asks, ''Can I have the organs for
someone else?'' a lot of people just say no. They did not know what the
wishes of the patient were, so they would say no. Now that people are
registering as organ donors, the families know. We encourage people to have
these conversations with family members to say, ''Yes, if that is the
case, I want my organs donated.'' I have to say that all of my family
and relatives know that is the case for me. They can use any bit they find
useful—not that there is necessarily a lot there, but they are welcome
to any relevant parts. All of my family knows that, and I encourage members to
make sure their families know that in the event a tragedy occurs. Most of the
time, we do not see it coming, and in that way families know that a person is
willing to donate their organs. That will often save lives and improve the
quality of life for countless people in this state.
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