Cash for Organs in the UK?

Across the world, demand for organs greatly outweighs supply. Although highly controversial, the UK is currently debating whether cash or other incentives should be offered to those willing to donate organs and blood.

Potential problems with offering cash for organs include:

• Blood banks could become tainted due to donations from a large amount of strapped-for-cash drug addicts.
• Exploiting the vulnerability of poor families brings up ethical concerns.
• Offering payments for organs may cause people to take risks or go against their beliefs.

Despite these problems, the National Health Service’s reliance on public selflessness has failed, and it may be time to consider economics rather than just ethics.

I have previously blogged about struggles to increase organ donation in Israel and New York.

See Ian Cowie, Cash for Organ Transplants; When Head Beats Heart, Telegraph.co.uk, April 20, 2010.