2 February to 9 February

The gift of life*

In his famous book, The Gift Relationship, Richard Titmuss celebrates the British system of blood doning based on altruism (in contrast to the American system of payments). His collectivist model of social policy warned against privatising the health service, and so came under attack, particularly in the United States, from those who favoured reliance on self interest, and self sufficiency. I've donated blood two or three times a year since being persuaded to do so in the Students' Union when a student. It has become an habitual behaviour that I have never debated with myself at any high level. Feeling physically better afterwards, I happily reward myself with a couple of glasses of Guinness.

At a donor session in St Chad's parish centre recently, I reflected on the government's desire to institute a 'presumed consent' system for organ donation, requiring citizens to 'opt out' rather than deliberately 'opt in' as now. Though less altruistic, objections moral or otherwise, to this method of increasing the supply of redundant yet lifesaving organs are beyond me, since it allows those who are opposed to donating their organs after death to safeguard their position, while potentially extending the gift of life to many more.

Jonathan Long, Director Carnegie Research Institite

*In his reflection 'Whither Informed Consent?' on 2.2.08, Professor Jim McKenna took a very different view of 'presumed consent' and 'opting out'.