Give and Let Live: Southport doctor debunks organ donation myths

Feb 3 2010 by John Siddle, Formby Times

ONE of Merseyside’s top doctors has lifted the lid on the organ donation – separating fact from fiction.

Southport Hospital lead clinician on organ donation, Bill Bickerstaffe, dispelled the common rumours that stand in the way of saving lives.

The Times’ Give and Let Live campaign, backed by the local NHS trust, aims to encourage readers to consider signing the donor register and discuss their wishes with relatives.

Britain has the second worst donor rate in Europe, thanks largely to huge misconceptions, with three people in critical need of a transplant dying each day.

Bill said: “There are huge myths surrounding organ donation that we need to dispel.

“There is this totally false notion that if a registered donor is in hospital, then doctors won’t work as hard to save their life or be treated differently.

“Medical staff will always try their hardest to ensure someone lives, regardless of circumstance.

“Other common fears we come across are that people are worried that the body will be dismembered or disfigured in some way and that’s just not the case.

“The patients are treated with a great deal of respect and if relatives wish they can see their loved ones after the procedure in the mortuary.

“There is no change to funeral arrangements and usually no delay.

“We hear people say ‘You wouldn’t want anything off me’, because they are old or had a illness – but that’s not the case.