Councillors want their constituents to talk about organ donation as the law is set to change to an ‘opt-out’ system in May.

Harrow Council passed a motion on Thursday (February 27) that will result in an information campaign about these changes.

Several councillors spoke of their support for the new system, which means, from May 20, everyone will be considered an organ donor unless they have recorded a decision not to.

It does not mean donation would automatically take place – the deceased’s family will always be involved in the final decision.

Therefore, the council urged residents to speak with their families about what they want to happen to their organs when they die.

“Your bodies will not be handed over to the state and cut up into pieces – this new law gives families greater control,” said Cllr Ameet Jogia, who brought the motion.

“It’s your body and you have the right to it. But this will open up the dialogue about shortages and lead to greater awareness.”

He described organ donation as a “gift” and pointed out that it gives people a chance to “give something back” after death.

Many councillors gave personal testimonies about family members who had donated their organs and had received letters of thanks from the recipients.

Cllr Chris Mote, who is on the organ transplant waiting list, spoke about the huge impact this law change could make in terms of saving lives as well as money for the NHS.

He noted that it should result in an extra 700 transplants a year, with around 5,000 people currently waiting for new organs.

The council also plans to highlight the need for more black and ethnic minority donors, since those from these communities in need of transplants have longer waiting times than white people.

Cllr Sachin Shah, who seconded the motion, pointed out that this is a particularly pertinent issue in Harrow, given its large ethnic minority population.

“If this council isn’t going to talk about this then who is?” he said.

The council added it would take into account various religious and cultural beliefs around organ donation and that this makes dialogue between all parties even more important.