A 28-year-old woman is admitted to ICU after a suicide attempt by hanging. She has a severe hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury and is ventilated. On day 5...

Question

A 28-year-old woman is admitted to ICU after a suicide attempt by hanging. She has a severe hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury and is ventilated. On day 5, brainstem death testing is performed and she is confirmed brainstem dead. She had previously registered as an organ donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Her parents are distressed and do not want organ donation to proceed. Under the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019, what happens in this situation?

Accepted Answer

The patient's registered wish to donate is respected as primary, but in practice, the SNOD will work sensitively with the family, and donation very rarely proceeds against family objections in the UK

Answer

The parents' refusal overrides the patient's registered wish - donation cannot proceed

Answer

Donation proceeds regardless of family views as the patient explicitly opted in

Answer

The case must be referred to the coroner before any decision

Answer

The Court of Protection decides

uk-fficm MCQ (SBA): Organ Donation - Family Objection