News Release

28th June 2004

"CRUEL BLOW FOR DIALYSIS PATIENTS"

"Kidney dialysis patients in Lichfield's Victoria Hospital and elsewhere have been dealt a cruel blow by the Government tonight" said Michael Fabricant after an amendment which could have assisted organ transplants was defeated by a Labour three line whip.

Michael Fabricant supported an amendment backed by many Conservative and Liberal-Democrat MPs which would have amended the Human Tissue Bill currently passing through Parliament to enable many more human organs to become available for transplant operations. "Each year thousands of people die from heart, kidney, liver, and other organ failure simply because Britain has a shortage of donor organs" says Michael. "This amendment, which has popular support, because it is right, would have meant that organs could be used for transplant purposes after a donor's death even if he or she did not have a donor card on him or her at the time of death. I appreciate that there will be some who do not wish to donate their organs for whatever reason. They would have been free to register their objection which would have prevented their organs from being removed after death.

"Having campaigned long and hard with many others to keep our dialysis unit open in Lichfield and having seen for myself how patients have to be treated two or three times a week just to stay alive, I recognise how a shortage of donor organs is ruining people's lives.

"In many cases, it is ending their lives.

"This amendment, had it been passed, would have enabled many more transplant organs to be available. Many more people's lives would have been saved nationally and in the west midlands.

"Conservative and Liberal-Democrat whips gave MPs a free vote on this amendment. I am horrified that on this moral issue, Labour applied a three-line whip to vote against the amendment. I applaud those Labour MPs who had the courage to defy their whips and vote as their conscience dictated" adds Michael Fabricant.