Letter: Action needed on organ donation

WHILST it is encouraging to read that the number of Scots signing up to the organ donor register is increasing, there is still much that could be done to improve the donation rates in Scotland (News, 26 December).

The British Medical Association has long believed that a system where organ donation is the norm, unless an individual chooses to opt out during their lifetime, or relatives are aware that he or she objected, would go some way to addressing this.

The adoption of such an "opt-out" model is by no means the only step that needs to be taken if Scotland is to improve its record on transplantation. The experience of other countries suggests that levels of donation increase when well trained staff, supported by adequate resources, work within a system of presumed consent. Much-needed changes to improve donation rates are currently taking place, but with an opt-out system we could do even more.

In Scotland, 600 people are on the waiting list for a transplant. Some of these people will die while they are waiting whilst others will have died without even reaching the waiting list. Meanwhile, studies show that more than 90 per cent of the population supports organ donation, yet only around a third have signed up to the organ donor register.

If properly implemented, with adequate resources and staff, and backed up by a high-profile publicity campaign, presumed consent could save or transform thousands of lives. All the time we waste now means that more lives are lost. Now is the time for a serious debate about moving to opt-out.

Dr Brian Keighley, Chairman, BMA Scotland