Tuesday 15 January 2013

Opt Out To Save Lives

Today's visit to the Warfarin clinic came without any drama today, which is just as well as I wasn't in the mood. I hate going out when it is cold my breathing just gets worse and worse and my chest aches like hell in cold weather.

Fortunately I was in and out in no time, and then, after a quick dash around Tesco's, it was back home to warm up and a couple of hot tea's to warm me from the inside.

Andrew is taking the first of his exams today and I'm anxious. I know he will be fine but for me exams were always an ordeal so I probably worry more than he does. I will call him this evening to find out how they went.

I'm making a special appeal in today's blog. A few weeks back I asked everyone to sign up on the NHS organ donor list but this appeal, although donor related, is slightly different.

Our country is one of the few, especially in Europe, who have an 'opt in' scheme for donors rather than the 'opt out' system other countries run. It is no coincidence that there is a chronic shortage of donated organs in the UK and three people a day die waiting for a transplant because of this system. To put it in context, I was placed on the transplant list on 21st December 2012, that's twenty five days ago, and in that time seventy five people will have died because there wasn't an organ available to save them.

So what does 'opt out' mean? Well, rather than having to sign up to be a donor, consent is assumed when you die that you want your organs to be given to someone else, unless that is, you give specific instructions that only some or none of your organs can be used. If this scheme comes into being here it will instantly double or even triple the amount of organs available and therefore cut the number of deaths on the waiting list accordingly. Research shows that almost 90% of those interviewed would consider being a donor but only 50% or less ever get around to signing up.

However as always our government keeps putting the debate on changing the system on the back burner so in order to force the issue we need 100,000 signatures on our petition to get the issue discussed in the commons and stop it being put off. Please follow the link below and give people like me a chance.
Thank you.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38220  

In the news I was shocked to hear the HMV has gone to the wall, yet another big name off our high streets. The main reason was competition from Internet sales. Have none of these retailers learned yet that if they charge ridiculously high prices of course customers are going to go elsewhere? Surely it's not rocket science is it? I was even more shocked to find that vouchers and gift cards will not be honoured. I'm sorry but they must have know they had problems when they were busy selling hundreds of the things over Christmas. In my mind that is little short of fraud as they were selling them unsure if they could ever be redeemed.

Well it is back to work tomorrow, I'm praying it does not snow overnight, I suspect that with one week to go before the new shifts start it is going to be a bit tense. Next blog Sunday.

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