The Swedish National Donor Register

The large number of individuals who have registered with the National donor register indicates that the general public feels there is a need for such a register. It also indicates that the register is accepted by the general public. Considering that the Swedish transplant act is an opting out law, it was to be expected that those objecting to donation would be overrepresented as compared to their representation in the general public. This was confirmed when the opinions of the first 300,000 persons to register were compared to a survey of attitudes made at the same time. According to the guidelines for the medical profession issued by the Board, the Register always has to be consulted in the case of a potential donor. The Register is frequently consulted and found useful by the licensed procurement coordinators. The rulings of the Swedish Data inspection board are to be followed and any divergence will be noted and acted upon by the Board. The new legislation was proposed at a time when the number of cadaver donors was declining. The number of cadaver organ donors remains unchanged. It is concluded that it is for governments to decide on donor registers and for government agencies and professionals to design safe registries and continuously supervise how they are used. The Swedish National Donor Register is safe and operational.