Organ donation via DVLA

Anyone applying for a driving licence online will have to answer questions about organ donation, in the Government's latest bid to boost numbers on the organ donor register.

From tomorrow, would-be motorists will have to tick one of three boxes about joining the NHS Organ Donor Register before completing their application on the DVLA website.

The scheme, launched by the Public Health minister, Anne Milton, will expand on an existing DVLA scheme that has seen more than 8.5 million people sign up. It is hoped the "prompted choice" system will double the percentage of those choosing to join when applying for a licence. There are about one million new sign-ups to the organ donor register every year in the UK, with half coming through the DVLA.

A successful trial in Illinois in the US has shown a rise of people registering, from 38 to 60 per cent, since 2008.