The Rudd Government today introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to set up the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority, which will implement and oversee Australia's new organ donation and transplantation system.
The authority is the centrepiece of a national plan to reduce unnecessary suffering for thousands of Australians who are waiting for organ transplants.
For too long organ donation rates in Australia have lagged behind many other nations, despite high levels of community support for organ donation.
The Rudd Government is determined to make transplants possible for many more Australians and the authority is the key to making that happen.
It will work with states and territories, clinicians, consumers and the community sector to build a world-leading system for Australia.
The Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority is part of a national reform package worth $151.1 million, including new funding of $136.4 million over four years.
The key features of the reform package include:
* $67 million to fund dedicated organ donation specialist doctors and other staff in public and private hospitals;
* $46 million to establish the authority, to be set up by 1 January 2009;
* $17 million in new funding for hospitals to meet additional staffing, bed and infrastructure costs associated with organ donation.
* $13.4 million to continue national public awareness and education;
* $1.9 million for counselling for potential donor families; and
* Other significant measures including enhanced professional education programs, consistent clinical protocols, ‘clinical trigger' checklists and data collection for organ transplants in hospitals.
Transplantation is a highly successful treatment that transforms the lives of individuals and the families who care for them.
The Rudd Government encourages all Australians to register their consent for organ donation on the Australian Organ Donation Register, which is administered by Medicare Australia.
People who are considering registering as donors are also encouraged to discuss their decision with their family.
People can obtain registration forms at the Medicare Australia web site, www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/organ, by calling Medicare on 1800-777-203, or by visiting their local Medicare office.
The Rudd Government reforms have drawn together the best international evidence and practice, as well as the expertise of stakeholders such as the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand, the Cognate Committee on Organ and Tissue Donation, Transplant Australia and ShareLife.
The package does not change the framework of legal consent for donation. The families of all potential donors will be supported to make the choice of whether to donate at what is a very difficult time.
The organ donation and transplantation reforms continue the Rudd Government's commitment to making our hospital system work for Australian families.