Human Tissue Amendment Bill 2024 (No 18)

Thursday 8 August 2024

[5.03 p.m.]

Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Well, thank you Mr President, and I totally endorse the comments of the - I was going to say member for Rattray - member for McIntyre

Ms Rattray - That will do.

Ms ARMITAGE - I think sometimes we need to check we are still on the register because I think sometimes people have thought -

Ms Rattray - Oh, do you fall off?

Ms ARMITAGE - I am not sure, the member for Murchison might be able to tell me but I thought a few years ago it actually changed. Yes, so it is probably worth checking though if people think they are on there and make sure they still are. Also, have a word with family so they know your wishes.

This important bill is helping to modernise the way in which the existing Human Tissue Act governs the donation and transplantation of human tissue within Tasmania and by making it easier for the families, friends and kin of donors, as well as organisations like Donate Life Tasmania to publish the personal stories of deceased organ and tissue owners.

We can ensure these generous gifts of life are appropriately honoured, respected and promoted. Organ donation is a really powerful way to save lives, improve the quality of life, and contribute to medical advancements. It addresses critical shortages in the healthcare system, supports ethical and social values and can provide profound personal meaning for diners and their families.

By choosing to donate organs, individuals make a lasting, life affirming difference. According to Donate Life Australian Donation and Transplantation Activity Report 2023 one organ donor can save the lives of up to seven people and help many more through eye and tissue donation. There are 1800 people on the wait list for a transplant in Australia. Since the national program began in 2009, there have been 6417 deceased organ donors and there have been 18,144 organ transplant recipients, 55 per cent of families consented to donation, 7.7 million eligible Australians are listed to be registered as a donor, and there were 253 living kidney donors.

In Tasmania, there were 21 deceased organ donors, 57 transplant recipients and 83  consent rate and 3632 new registrations. Despite this, very few people can become an organ donor when they die. There are certain specific requirements. They must die in a hospital, in specific circumstances, in an ICU or ED. Only 2 per cent of people who die in Australian hospitals actually meet those conditions. These are all people who have given and received vitally important gifts and they deserve to be acknowledged. With only a small number of potential donors, increasing consent is critical to increasing the donation rate. Being able to publish the stories of those who have so generously given and to honour the consent of their families and loved ones will be critical to increasing the number of potential eligible donors and to save the lives and improve the quality of life for so many people.

I will briefly speak about some of the other technical amendments the bill makes. The bill will replace the requirement for two medical practitioners to endorse the decision to give a child a lifesaving blood transfusion, with the requirement for one medical practitioner and one paramedic. This reflects growing configurations for air ambulance services in regional areas, where there is predominantly a paramedic and a doctor working on a rescue helicopter in remote locations.  This has the potential to save lives, gives our medical professionals greater certainty, but they are breaking the rules simply by doing the right thing.

The bill also clarifies that a person under the age of 18 who is capable of making their own fully informed and voluntary decisions about their health will not have their wishes overridden by anyone. This seems fair and puts ethics and social responsibility at the heart of the provision. This is an extremely important bill. I believe it reflects modern attitudes towards organ and tissue donation, the nature of consent, ethics and social responsibility, acknowledging the autonomy of people under 18 years and will hopefully make significant strides towards a future where there are more opportunities for donating and receiving life‑changing organs and tissue. I support the bill.