A major change in Wales’ organ donation law is just six months away.
Under the new system, a person having lived in Wales for 12 months will have to opt out of the donation register if they do not want their organs donated after their death.
The new organ donation law, passed last year, will come into force on December 1 2015.
Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Last year, 12 people in Wales died while waiting for a transplant. We can’t allow this to continue, which is why we have taken action and become the first nation in the UK to pass this unique law to make more organs available for transplant.
“The change to a soft opt-out system for organ donation only six months from today will deliver a revolution in consent and has the potential to make a real difference to so many people’s lives.”
The Welsh system will be a soft opt-out system, meaning a person’s family and friends will have a significant role to play in the ultimate decision to donate an organ.
If they knew their loved one did not wish to be an organ donor, even if they had not opted out, they will be able to tell clinicians at the hospital and donation will not take place.
The latest polling shows that 62% of people in Wales are aware of the organ donation changes, up from 57% in June 2014.