Donation actions are activities or interventions carried out in relation to a potential organ donor, either before or after death, for the purpose of exploring donation eligibility, facilitating deceased organ donation, increasing organ utilisation, and/or optimising transplant outcomes.
The Donation Actions Framework represents a multi-professional statement whose purpose is to:
a) Summarise into one document the current professional, ethical and legal guidance for donation actions under which deceased organ donation should be practised in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
b) Establish a process that allows the assessment of new Donation Actions, and if they are agreed to be professionally, ethically, and legally acceptable, enables them to be incorporated into future practice.
While some of the broad principles in this Framework apply equally, there are sufficient legal differences for it not to be applicable to Scotland; therefore, the Framework is for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The prime principle of the Framework is to assess whether a proposed donation action is in the best interests of the potential donor by balancing potential benefits against potential harms which cannot be avoided or mitigated.
