DOCTORS’ body BMA Scotland has welcomed the launch of legislation to introduce a new “soft opt-out” organ donation system.
Currently Scots have to sign up to the donation register if they want their organs to benefit others after their death.
But under plans now introduced to Parliament, authorities will assume people wanted to donate their organs, unless they had stated otherwise.
Families will still be consulted to ensure donation doesn’t happen against a person’s wishes, and the Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill also includes safeguards for children, adults without the capacity to understand, and those who have spent less 12 months in the country.
People in these categories will only be able to donate if they have given, or someone on their behalf has given, explicit authorisation.
It is hoped the change will increase significantly the number of transplants carried out every year.
The number has been increasing since 2008, with the number of donors up 90 per cent to 102 in 2017-18 and the number of lifesaving transplants from deceased donors hitting 375 following an 80 per cent rise.
However, more than 530 people remain on the active transplant waiting list.
LibDem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said the approach is “the right one to take”.
Encouraging people to express their wishes to loved ones, Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: “We need to do all we can to further reduce the number of people in Scotland waiting for transplants.
“We have made significant progress over the past decade, and moving to an opt-out system will be part of driving a long-term change in attitudes towards organ and tissue donation.”
Kidney specialist Dr Sue Robertson of BMA Scotland said: “Organ transplantation is an area that has seen amazing medical achievements but has not yet reached its full lifesaving and life-transforming potential.
“The whole transplant community has worked tremendously hard to increase donation rates but we believe that more can be done.
“As doctors, it’s difficult to see our patients suffering and dying when their lives could be saved or dramatically improved by a transplant.
“We believe that genuine choice over organ donation can be facilitated through a soft opt-out system.
“If properly implemented, with adequate resources and staff, and backed up by a high profile campaign, an opt-out system could save or transform people’s lives.”
A public consultation found more than 80 per cent of Scots backed the introduction of an opt-out system.
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