Otago drivers are outperforming the rest of the country in the "lifesaving" decision to be an organ donor.
Nearly two-thirds of those in Otago who were granted a licence in recent months have chosen donor status.
The figure is notably higher than the national average, with just over half of people selecting the donor option throughout the country.
However, Organ Donation New Zealand (ODNZ) warns good intentions could be wasted unless people take the crucial next step of talking about their decision with family.
Figures provided to the Otago Daily Times by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi under the Official Information Act showed that of licences of any class issued between January 1 and October 31 this year, 116,816 people chose to have donor status.
This was a slim 51.7% majority of the total 225,730 licences issued.
In Otago, during the same time span, 6814 people who were issued with a licence chose to have donor status.
This was 66.1% of the total of 10,306 licences issued, and a 27.9% increase on the national rate.
Southland also beat the national average, with 59.6% of 5150 licences issued with donor status.
ODNZ clinical lead Dr Joanne Ritchie said becoming a donor was an "amazing gift" that was lifesaving or life changing for the recipient.
As well as organs, tissues such as eyes, skin and heart valves were among parts that could be donated.
The organisation was grateful to those who became donors, and it was lovely to hear that many people in Otago were willing to consider it, she said.
However, simply choosing donor status on one’s licence did not count as the informed consent required by the Human Tissue Act.
Therefore, the licence status did not by itself enable someone to become a donor.
There was very little information that went along side the tick box for donor status in licence applications, although more information was available on the Organ Donation New Zealand website, Dr Ritchie said.
"A donor is almost never able to give that informed consent because they’re in a situation where they’re either deeply unconscious or have died, unfortunately, and so the whānau are asked what they think the patient would want if they were able to give consent.
"It’s always a really difficult time for them because they’re grieving and this is a sudden thing, often.
"It’s really hard for them to make a decision and what makes it easier is if the family have had prior discussions about what they would want if they were in that situation."
The usefulness of the licence check box was as a springboard to that conversation, she said.
Sometimes a person might not even a have licence, or if they did, the donor status on it might not be known.
These people were still able to donate if their family believed it was what they would have wanted.
She was "in awe" of those families who were able to consent at such a difficult time.
It would be very uncommon for a family to go against a person’s wishes, when they were known — she had never known it to happen.
"It’s really just where they’ve not had that conversation and just don’t know."
Her key message was to "let your family know".
- Have you or a loved one been impacted by organ donation and want to share your story? Email fiona.ellis@odt.co.nz
