MP brings forward Bill to guarantee sick '¨pay for organ donors

According to Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh, loopholes in current regulations mean some donors risk going weeks without pay as they recover from surgery.

She believes concern around this potential loss of earnings can be a “major factor” in some people’s decision whether or not to donate.

She is therefore proposing a change in statutory sick pay guidance to ensure all donors qualify for this support.

“Lots of employers will allow [donors] to take sick pay, but its not explicit in the legislation,” Ms Haigh told The Yorkshire Post.

“Some treat it as self-inflicted, so donors have to take unpaid leave or holiday.

“Some people will take a couple of months to recover, and obviously that would be a major factor in their decision of whether to donate.

“As well as sacrificing quite a considerable part of their health in order to help someone else... [they] have to think about loss of earnings on top of that.”

The Labour MP will bring forward her proposals to reform guidance on sick pay in a Private Member’s Bill today.

Very few of these Bills succeed in passing through Parliament, but they have the potential to influence Government policy.

Ms Haigh said she was confident ministers would adopt the changes, which she claims already have cross-party backing and the support of a number of local businesses.

“[This is about] getting the issue on to the agenda... I can’t see any possible argument against it, so hopefully common sense will prevail,” she said.