SIR,

The Welsh Government have demonstrated a lack of respect for their citizens in the Draft Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill.

Following the consultation earlier this year the Government have replaced 'presumed consent' with 'deemed consent'.

Deemed consent is equally as fictitious a phrase and the Welsh Government has no right to deem it can disregard an individual's autonomy, ignore international conventions surrounding valid consent, and take our organs and tissues.

Ironically, deemed consent cannot be enforced when a Welsh resident dies in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland hence a Welsh resident will be given more protection against unauthorised removal of organs outside Wales.

The Bill is deeply flawed in terms of ethics and in terms of the weaknesses of the evidence to support it. The consultation ends on 10th September 2012 so there is time to comment, see http://www.wales.gov.uk/consultations/">www.wales.gov.uk/consultations/

healthsocialcare

The Bill will sadly probably become law and then I hope the legal challenges will start, particularly against apparent breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Dr Iain J Robbé

(Grosmont