UK in need of organ donors

LONDON - Britons are being asked if people should get cash incentives to donate eggs and sperm, and whether the funeral expenses of organ donors should be paid in a bid to address a severe shortage.

The medical ethics think-tank the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has launched a public consultation to look at whether people think it is right that donors should receive payments or other incentives to meet a growing demand. Currently paying people to donate most organs, beyond offering modest expenses, is illegal in Britain.

About 8,000 people need an organ transplant in Britain each year and hundreds die waiting for a suitable donor. The organ shortage has forced many to seek treatment overseas. A change in the law in 2005, which removed donors' right to anonymity has led to a sharp fall in the number of donations.