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AAP
AAP
Health
Nyibol Gatluak

Return to licence system would drive up organ donors

Victorians should be given the chance to put their hand up to be an organ and tissue donor when applying for or renewing their driver's licence, an inquiry has found.

A parliamentary inquiry into boosting registered organ and tissue donors made 74 findings and 41 recommendations in a report tabled on Wednesday.

Chief among them was the option for people to record their interest in becoming a donor by nominating the decision on their driver's licence.

Victoria's organ donation rate is consistently above the national average and 81 per cent of people support donation, but just 23 per cent are registered.

South Australia is the only state where it's still possible to nominate the decision to become an organ donor on a driver's licence and consequently its registration rate is 72 per cent - the highest in the nation.

Historically, Victorians could record an expression of interest in registering to be a donor by ticking a box but this option was dumped in the early 2000s.

Victorians must now register through MyGov if they want to become a donor.

Committee chair Ella George said the recommendation to use a driver's licence to register was guided by SA's proven success and the fact that 99.9 per cent of eligible Victorians hold a licence.

"Families feel much more comfortable consenting to donation when they know they are affirming and fulfilling their family member's donation wishes," Ms George said.

Donor registrations are even lower among young Australians, with just one in 10 of those aged between 16 and 25 having done so.

The inquiry called for the government to develop and deliver an awareness program in partnership with DonateLife Victoria and the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria targeted at 15 and 16-year-olds.

Premier Jacinta Allan said the government would consider the report's recommendations.

"If (people) want to proceed with organ donation and there are ways we can make that easier, then we will have a look at that," she told reporters.

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