Organ donation law in Wales
The legislation for Wales is ‘deemed consent’. This means that if you haven’t registered an organ and tissue donation decision (opt in or opt out), you will be considered to have no objection to becoming a donor.
You can still opt in to the register if you want to do so, but it is not required in order to give consent for donation.
You can also nominate up to two representatives to make the decision for you. These could be family members, friends, or other people you trust, such as your faith leader.
This legislation was introduced in December 2015.
Your choices
If you want to be a donor
If you want to be a donor, you can either register a decision to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register or do nothing.
If you don't record an organ donation decision
If you don't record an organ donation decision (opt in or opt out), we will regard you as having no objection to donating your organs. This is called deemed consent.
If you do not want to be an organ donor
If you do not want to be a donor, you can register a decision not to donate (opt out) on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Nominate a representative
If you don't want to make an organ donation decision yourself, or if you have specific instructions, you can appoint someone to make that decision for you.
Tell your family and friends
If you live in Wales, it's still very important that you discuss your organ donation decision with your family and friends so it doesn't come as a surprise to them, and they can support your decision.
