A SALISBURY transplant recipient who has been campaigning for reform to the organ donation system in the UK is urging people to take part in a consultation to get the opt out system rolled out in England.

Lucy Ryan had a heart transplant in 1993, a month before her third birthday. She launched an online petition back in 2015 to gather support for the the introduction of an opt out organ and tissue donation system in England.

The soft opt out option, which was introduced in Wales in December 2015, means people are automatically signed up to the donor register unless they choose to opt out.

The 27-year-old says the consultation is a “massive leap forward” in the campaign. She said: “I was delighted to hear the Government was launching a consultation as this means they’ve taken everyone who’s been campaigning for the soft opt out system to be introduced seriously at last.

“This is amazing news for the campaign and better than it being debated in the House of Commons as it allows the public to express their views.”

Lucy is urging as many people as possible to take part in the consultation.

“It need only take a few minutes to express views on something that could shape your future.” said Lucy. “Organ failure doesn’t discriminate, it can affect any of us at anytime as my family knows from personal experience.

“I’m one of the fortunate ones who received a life-saving transplant in time as an infant and as a result 24 years later I’m still here to tell the tale - many of my friends haven’t been as lucky.”

She said: “The opt out system would make a huge difference if introduced not just by creating a national conversation about donation but also raising awareness of the issue and educating people who may not have heard much about it.

“As long as it’s introduced properly with lots of information available for us to make informed decisions and enough qualified staff ready to cope with any increase in the number of transplants then I believe we’ll see an increase in the number of donors in not just the long but also the short term.”

To take part in the consultation go to https://engage.dh.gov.uk/organdonation/13-2/. The consultation runs until March 6.