Consultation due on new organ donation opt-out law

How new opt-out organ donation laws would work in practice is set to be the subject of a consultation in the coming weeks, the cabinet office minister has said.

The Human Tissue and Organ Donation Act was given Royal Assent in July 2021 and the secondary legislation required to bring it in is currently being drafted.

David Ashford MHK said it was "vital" people shared their views to "make sure that it is right for the people of island".

It would be a "huge step forward" once the law was active as it would "hopefully save many peoples' lives in years to come", he said.

The legislation is known as Daniel's Law, in memory of 15-year-old Daniel Boyde, whose organs were donated following his death in a car crash in 2007.

The opt-out system was originally introduced as a private members bill by former Garff MHK Martyn Perkins.

Ashford said work had been ongoing to develop the codes of practice and secondary legislation required to bring the law into force as they would inform how it would operate.

He said the consultation would be looking to find out views on how the measures within the new laws should work, including the opt-out system.

The minister said he appreciated it had taken "a very long time to get here" but gathering opinions was a "crucial part of the process".

He said the "life changing" law had to be "right not rushed" and so a timeline could not be put in place yet as to when it would become active.

However, he said the process was "heading for a place where social policy on organ donation in the island is in a much better place".

Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.