Donated organs are a precious resource. Their sharing is conducted under rules drawn up by the appropriate UK Transplant advisory committee, ensuring that each organ is given to the most suitable recipient and that each patient, as far as possible, is provided with equal access to available organs.
Patients are placed on the transplant waiting list by their local consultant physician or surgeon and in accordance with nationally agreed criteria. Their names are then notified to UK Transplant for inclusion on the national transplant database.
Individual social and psychological needs are also considered during the clinical decision-making process.
Applying a moral argument to the allocation of an organ for transplant or any medical treatment is not compatible with the ethos of the NHS. The health service does not stand in judgement over the people it is being asked to care for.
Everyone has the right to be treated fairly and this is what the public expects and receives.