As we transition to the opt out system, the BBC will be at the heart of promoting a culture of organ donation

This year, the so called law of presumed consent in organ donation will enter into force in Scotland and England. If you are an adult and not within an excluded group, your main organs maybe retrieved after you die and, if deemed suitable, used for a person on the organ waiting list. This, unless you had previously expressed your decision to opt out of the Organ Donor Register. Moving to an opt out system is significant because it usually helps to increase the pool of organs available for donation, as illustrated by the Welsh case and many other examples in the world. 

I am starting this blog to reflect on the various forms of communication that will stem from the new legal framework. Since I started researching the subject in February last year, I have become familiar with the various ways in which communication media impinge upon public knowledge and attitudes about organ donation. I therefore intend to write commentary about coverage in the news media, content on the internet and social platforms that the transition into the opt-out system is likely to trigger.

The role of the BBC in raising awareness about organ donation

I will pay special interest to public communication efforts which are likely to promote a culture of organ donation. The BBC, in this context, is a suitable example of an organisation that for sometime has been producing and disseminating content which creates awareness about the benefits of organ transplantation and the new legal framework. For example, in Heart Transplant: A Chance to Live, broadcast on BBC 2, director James Newton told the story of seven patients on the organ waiting list, powerfully conveying the permanent life-and-death situation in which they live whilst reflecting on the nature of the transplant process and the advancements that are enabling to increase the pool of available organs.

Crucially, this documentary helps to reflect on how the collaboration between multiple stakeholders, from health professionals and care providers, to universities, the news media, families and the patients themselves, can result in media narratives with the potential to make us empathise with the pain of others.

Later this year the organ donation system will change in England and Scotland to 'opt-out'.
Ethan is waiting for a heart but his parents tell #BBCBreakfast we still need to talk about our wishes, despite the change ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/RKjjlr5q7O

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) January 2, 2020

The BBC will most certainly continue to be a key source of valuable public communication about organ donation, as illustrated by an interview with a family that, among other issues, raised one key limitations of the opt-out system: it will not increase the availability of organs suitable for transplants on children.