Death and organ donation: meeting the needs of multiethnic and multifaith populations

Deceased donation in the UK relies upon family consent. Approaching a family at the tragic time of a loved one’s death requires significant emotional resilience from staff. The UK is comprised of individuals who have a number of life and death values which are, to some extent, based upon their faith, culture, and ethnicity. This paper seeks to provide an overview of some of key issues relating to death, death rituals, faith, and how these may impact upon organ donation. This should be of benefit to staff dealing closely with recently bereaved families and who will be requesting organ donation from them.