Attitudes of hospital staff involved in organ donation to the procedure

Hospital staff have a key function in asking for potential organ donors, bu t little is known about their own attitudes towards donation. In a communit y hospital with 7-8 multi-organ extraction procedures each year 199 staff m embers were surveyed. Although only 7% of the responding staff would person ally refuse to donate an organ, 23 % would not give consent to organ donati on from a close relative. 47 % of those prepared to be donors had signed a donor card. Donors informed their family more frequently (88 %) about their personal attitude towards organ donation than non-donors (60 %), or undeci ded personnel (43,8 %; chi-square P = 0,004). No significant difference in attitude according to medical profession subgroups was found. The findings are in line with general population surveys and indicate that much work nee ds to be done to encourage medical staff involved in organ donation to set an example to the community.