Discuss The Strengths and weaknesses of the opt-out system of organ donation in England that became law in May 2020
The summative assessment will be a critical 3000-word essay exploring the strengths and weaknesses of the opt-out system of organ donation in England that became law in May 2020.
Suggested essay title: The opt-out organ donation system: for and against
Must demonstrate familiarity with the relevant ethical and legal literature. The assignment must be logically presented and demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topic. All content should be demonstrably relevant and supported with reference to credible literature and demonstrate critical analysis. Following preparation and presentation for the formative assessment, students should have an excellent grasp of the ethical and legal nuances of the topic.
Issues you might want to engage in:
– Efficacy of the opt-out system looking at similar systems employed elsewhere e.g. Wales (2015)
– Implications for informed consent when consent is ‘presumed’. – Importance of communicating the message
– Comparing the opt-in and opt-out systems
– Discuss the different opt-out systems: soft versus hard
– Scepticism surrounding organ donation e.g., some minority groups, and religious groups
– Ethical issues with an opt-out system
– Implications for organ donation as a gift
– Why does the Spanish system work so well?
A basic summative assignment outline:
It might be helpful to plan your assignment out the following way:
Introduction – Explain what you will be doing and how you will do it (150-250 words).
The main body – This is where you should develop your main arguments and earn most of your marks. You might find it helpful to break up your main body into 4-6 questions of 400-600 words that are relevant to exploring your assignment title.
Explain why the topic is important then discuss and critically analyse the best arguments for both sides of the debate – identifying their strengths, weaknesses and implications (e.g. ethical and legal). T
hen you can explain what side you believe has the strongest case based on reason and evidence. All of the above must be backed up with evidence of wider reading and critical engagement with those sources.
Conclusion – Summarise your main arguments – do not include any new information (150-200 words).
