It takes an unusual power of rationality to accept the idea that your eye might one day see, or your heart beat, within the body of another. Understandably, perhaps, it is sometimes a leap too far for the recently bereaved. Grief-stricken and forced to decide quickly whether to allow their relative's organs to be transplanted, the families of around one in 10 would-be donors overrule their wishes and refuse - despite the fact that none of the major religions object. This would not just have saddened the individuals concerned. It is one of the reasons why nearly 7,000 people in the UK are waiting for an organ, usually a kidney.

Last year more than 400 of them died before their turn came. In a cruel irony, medical advances mean that fewer potential donors now die in hospital following road accidents or after a stroke, shrinking the pool of donors. Some doctors argue that organ donation should be compulsory. Rightly, the Human Tissue Act, which comes into force in September, does not go so far. It does, however, ensure that relatives no longer have the right to overrule a donor's wishes. With it, the NHS Organ Donor Register takes on an added importance. Thirteen million Britons have already enrolled, most of them via a tickbox on a driving licence or GP's application form. Others might or might not be carrying a donor card when they are taken to hospital. Anyone can now make this enlightened gesture, and have it respected, by visiting uktransplant.org.uk and adding their name.