Legislation to improve the rates of organ donation considered at Holyrood

The legislation, if passed, would create a soft opt-out system which would effectively mean that organs and tissue would be available for transplant unless there is a decision to the contrary.

The Health and Sport Committee is currently scrutinising theTransplantation (Authorisation of removal of organs) etc. (Scotland) Bill and the evidence they receive from this call for views will inform their work on the issue.

Members of the public are being asked to give their view through the committee’s online survey or by writing to the committee.

Convener of the committee Duncan McNeil MSP said: “I’m sure everyone would agree that people dying whilst waiting on a transplant is such a tragic waste of life.

“Organ donation has transformed people’s lives and the lives of their families.

“But of course for someone to receive good news another family has had to go through a devastating experience so these conversations are never easy or straight forward.

“But it is the job of this committee to hear from the experts, gather evidence and to scrutinise how these proposals would change the current system.”

Deputy convener of the committee Bob Doris MSP said: “As a committee we want to hear from as many people as possible and particularly people who have had personal experience of the current transplant system.

“This is important for the committee as these views will contribute directly to our work.

“It will help us as MSPs in coming to conclusions on these proposals and if we as a committee can support the bill as it progresses through the parliamentary scrutiny process.”

The committee has issued a call for evidence and would like people to answer the following questions:

The current system of organ donation in Scotland is an “opt-in system”

To “opt-in” a person joins the organ donor register or a person with a relevant relationship to the deceased (usually a relative) gives authorisation for organ removal.

This bill provides for a move to a “soft opt-out” system.

The bill assumes that organs and tissue are available for transplant unless there is specific instruction to the contrary.

The bill will also give adults resident in Scotland the options of appointing a proxy to make a decision about authorisation on their behalf, or to register in advance an objection to removal (i.e. to opt out).

The National Assembly for Wales recently changed its organ donation legislation, and on 1 December 2015 a soft opt out system will come into force.

You can submit your views through a survey or by writing to the committee.