Opt for Life Cymru is an organised group wishing to change legislation in Wales to provide more organ donation to patients waiting for a transplant.

UK should now decide on Opt Out or spend more on the Current System – but how much?

Statement by Kidney Wales Foundation on  Professor Sir Gordon Duff’s independent review of the error discovered earlier this year in the processing of a number of Organ Donor Register (ODR) registrations, where registrants had registered through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Kidney Wales Foundation said today that it was important that the public had confidence in Government data collected particularly in the case of the Organ Donor Register. It called on the UK Government  to agree an Opt Out system for the UK Continue reading »

The Lancet provides a new study on on kidney donation after cardiac death

For first-time kidney recipients, kidneys from controlled cardiac-death donors were equivalent to those donated from brain-death donors and had similar rates of graft survival and graft function, according to a study published online August 19 2010  in the Lancet.

In Wales and the rest of the UK the demand for kidney transplantation far exceeds the supply of donor organs and the shortfall is becoming more severe as donor numbers fail to keep pace with increasing numbers of patients listed for transplantation. Continue reading »

Kidney Wales Patron and Welsh TV host Alex Jones named new BBC The One Show presenter

Kidney Wales Patron TV presenter Alex Jones will replace Christine Bleakley on The One Show sofa, the BBC has announced.

Jones is a well-known supporter of Kidney Wales and appeared on Welsh language TV where she has presented various shows.

The 32-year-old will share the screen with comedian Jason Manford – who is taking over from Adrian Chiles – when they start on 16 August.

Kidney Wales Foundation today expressed congratulations and delight that Patron Alex Jones is to host the BBC flag ship programme The One Show. Continue reading »

Opt out organ donation – Wales continues to move first to save lives

The Kidney Wales Foundation has welcomed today’s Legislative Statement by First Minister Carwyn Jones AM.

Roy J. Thomas Chairman of Kidney Wales Foundation said:

“The people of Wales should be in no doubt that a move to opt out will save lives. Continue reading »

Statement from Roy J Thomas, Chairman of Kidney Wales Foundation in reaction to comments by Edwina Hart AM, Minister for Health and Social Services ahead of today’s Health Committee meeting in the Assembly:

Kidney Wales is pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government  have now reversed the decline in the number of deceased organ donors and are now beginning to see real progress in Wales, however WAG acknowledge that we have much further to go and Kidney Wales are pressing to see further progress.

The Government’s intention is to pursue legislative competence for a soft opt out organ donation system in Wales at the earliest opportunity is in line with progressive countries across the World. Continue reading »

MP tables opt out EDM

NEWS: June 2010

CARDIFF West MP, Kevin Brennan, has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in Parliament calling on the UK Government to adopt an organ donation opt-out scheme inline with the Welsh Assembly Government.

Mr Brennan is hoping the majority of MPs will give their full support by backing the campaign he is launching with the Kidney Wales Foundation.

“There is a big shortage of organ donors in the Britain with more than 10,000 people awaiting a transplant,” said Kevin. Continue reading »