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Coroner's Court of Western Australia

Government of Western Australia State Coat of Arms
Coroner's Court of Western Australia

When a Death is Reported

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Organ and tissue donation

Donating Tissue

Many ill or injured people can be helped by receiving a tissue transplant from a person who has just died. Tissue donation usually involves either heart valves, skin, bone or a cornea (a part of the eye).

What about organ donation?

Organ donation is quite different. It can only take place if the death has occurred in certain circumstances. The person must have died at hospital, usually in intensive care and always on a ventilator, so that their circulatory system is still intact. If you wish to discuss organ and tissue donation you can contact the Donor Co-ordinator, DonateLife, on 1800 950 155.

You may be contacted by DonateWest

Each person whose body is brought to the State Mortuary is considered for suitability as a tissue donor. Transplant Co-ordinators from DonateLife contact the family in suitable cases. This contact will occur as soon as possible after the person has died. This is because a donation of tissue needs to be made within 12-24 hours of the donor's death.

Confidentiality

Records of tissue donors and transplant recipients are confidential and are managed separately. Families of donors can sometimes be given general information about how donated tissue has been used to help someone.

Who can agree to a donation?

Consent to tissue donation must be given by the person's 'senior available next-of-kin'. This means the first in order of priority of the following person who is available at the time.

If the person was under 18 years of age at the time of death (a child):

  1. if the child has both a spouse, and a de facto partner who has attained the age of 18 years, the spouse or de facto partner with whom the child is living as a spouse or de facto partner;
  2. the spouse, or de facto partner who has attained the age of 18 years, of the child;
  3. a parent of the child;
  4. a brother or sister, who has attained the age of 18 years, of the child;
  5. a guardian of the child.

And

For any person other than a child :

  1. if the person has both a spouse, and a de facto partner who has attained the age of 18 years, the spouse or de facto partner with whom the person is living as a spouse or de facto partner;
  2. the spouse, or de facto partner who has attained the age of 18 years, of the person;
  3. a son or daughter, who has attained the age of 18 years, of the person;
  4. a parent of the person;
  5. a brother or sister, who has attained the age of 18 years, of the person.

Before he or she died, the person may have expressed a wish to donate tissue, or may have registered as an organ or tissue donor. This knowledge can help a family to come to their own decision. However, it is up to the family, and if the family decides against donation, DonateLife will always respect the family's wishes, regardless of what the person themselves may have wanted.


Last updated: 2 December 2024

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