NEW laws will create greater and more efficient access to organ and tissue donors  in the ACT.

The Transplantation and Anatomy Amendment Bill 2011 was passed in the Assembly today, and will enable an increased number of designated officers to authorise the removal of organs and tissue from a deceased body.

“It is hoped that this will ensure when organs and tissue become available from a donor that the health system can move more quickly to ensure those donations are successfully transplanted to the body of a living person or for other therapeutic, medical or scientific purposes,” Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher.

“Secondly, the Act will allow authorised and trained tissue retrievalists to retrieve all tissue (musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, eye and skin tissue) and not just eye tissue. This amendment will greatly improve access to tissue donation and retrieval services in the ACT.”

Last year in the ACT, organ and tissue donors were given to 76 people.

The amendments made to the Act will also ensure consistency with corresponding legislation in NSW. It is also in line with the Council of Australian Governments Australia (COAG) endorsed national reforms in organ and tissue donation, and their establishment of a national eye and tissue donation and transplantation network.