A Bill to introduce a soft opt-out system of organ and tissue donation for deceased donors will be debated in Parliament today. Members will be asked to agree to the general principles of the Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill. Continue reading Holyrood to debate changes to organ donation legislation
The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee have expressed their support for a bill which would see Scotland move to an organ donation system with consent to donate presumed unless a person opts out. Continue reading Holyrood committee backs opt-out organ donation change
51.7% of Scotland’s population are now on the register.
More people than ever are signed up to the Organ Donor Register in Scotland, latest figures show. In 2018, there were 148,000 new registrations from people willing to be organ donors.
And the new registrations mean that the total number of people registered in Scotland has risen to a record high of almost 2.8 million – or 51.7% of Scotland’s population.
Meanwhile, in the last year 829 people in Scotland received a transplant. However there are currently more than 550 people in Scotland waiting for an organ transplant which could save or transform their lives.
The Scottish Government is working on a package of measures to further increase the number of potential donors. This includes legislation introduced to the Scottish Parliament to move to a soft opt-out system for organ and tissue donation. A public consultation in 2017 showed 82% of respondents supporting this move.
Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick (above) said: “It’s great to have a record number of people on the Organ Donor Register. This increases the chance of a potentially life-saving and life-changing gift for someone this year.
“However, with more than 550 people still waiting for a transplant, I would encourage people to consider making it their New Year’s resolution and join the Organ Donor Register. One donor can save up to nine lives and transform even more by donating tissue.
“Thanks to the generosity of donors and their families and the work of the NHS, we’ve seen great progress on organ donation over the last few years. We are working on a number of measures to increase donor numbers and save the lives of more people in Scotland.
“The move to a soft opt-out scheme aims to further increase the number of donors, while honouring the donation decision that a person has made in life.”
The figures and data below are from NHSBT:
The number of opt-in registrations (148,488) in Scotland between 4 December 2017 and 3 December 2018. The total may increase as registrations are processed.
In 2017/18, 829 people in Scotland received an organ or cornea/sclera transplant.
As of 4 December, 563 people are waiting for a transplant.
On 4 December 2018, there were 2,796,456 people residing in Scotland on the UK Organ Donor Register (area defined by the ONS NHS Postcode Directory). This is 51.7% of the Scottish population. This is based on 5,404,700 of the Scottish population, figure taken from the mid 2016 population estimates from the Office of National Statistics.
The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill will change organ and tissue donation from the current ‘opt-in’ system to a soft ‘opt-out’ system. Under the proposed system, if someone has not stated a decision about donation, they may be deemed as having authorised it. This would mean that, in addition to ‘opting in’ donation could also proceed where a person had not opted-out. There would also be safeguards to minimise the risk of a person becoming a donor if they would not have wished to donate.
People in Scotland can register to become an organ donor through the Organ Donation Scotland
ORGAN DONATION WEEK: 3rd – 9th SEPTEMBER
Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick MSP met Kathryn Hand, who underwent islet cell transplantation in December 2016, to mark the start of Organ Donation Week. Continue reading Minister of Public Health visits Royal Infirmary Islet Cell Transplant Team
Scotland’s organ donor registrations reaches half the population
Half of people in Scotland have registered to donate their organs or tissue after their death, and the country continues to have the highest rate in the UK.
There are more than 2,724,000 Scottish residents registered on the UK Organ Donor Register, or 50.4% of Scotland’s population, and surveys show that around 90% of people support organ donation. Approximately 550 people in Scotland are waiting for an organ transplant, which could save or transform their lives.
The rise in registered donors comes after high-profile annual awareness-raising campaigns. In addition, legislation has recently been introduced to the Scottish Parliament that would move Scotland to a soft opt out system, with appropriate safeguards. Under the proposed system, if someone has not stated a decision about donation after death, they may be deemed as having authorised it.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced the landmark achievement while visiting Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to learn about the work of the hospital’s kidney transplant and dialysis units.
Ms Freeman said: “Just over half of Scotland’s people have registered to donate their organs or tissue after death, reflecting both their incredible generosity and the progress we have made in highlighting the need for organ donors.
“However, we need more people to register. Most organ and tissue donations can only occur in tragic circumstances, and only 1% of people die in circumstances where they could be an organ donor. Registering only takes two minutes and could save or transform someone’s life.
“We have introduced proposals to change the laws around organ and tissue donation to move to a soft opt out system, to build on the significant progress we’ve already made and as part of the long term culture change to encourage people to support donation. However, the most important step people can take now is to make a decision and tell their family and loved ones. In the event of a tragedy, this would make it much easier for them at a very difficult time and ensure your decision is followed.”
Mr Marc Clancy, consultant transplant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, said: “I have seen the unit grow from a small size performing 60 transplants a year to become the largest in Scotland.
“We are now transplanting 180 organs annually while achieving some of the best success rates in the UK. This is testament to the commitment of our staff and the national drive to expand organ donation.”
Proposed legislation which will create an opt-out system for organ donation, that would assume people were in favour of donation unless they have stated otherwise, is currently being examined by the Health and Sport Committee. They have asked people from across Scotland for their view on the proposals. Continue reading Organ donation: what’s your view?
Scotland will move to a soft opt out system for organ and tissue donation, under legislation introduced to the Scottish Parliament. The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill will change organ and tissue donation from the current ‘opt in’ system to an ‘opt out’ system.
Under the proposed system, if someone has not stated a decision about donation, they may be deemed as having authorised it.
The Bill contains safeguards to ensure people’s wishes regarding donation are followed and that families will be asked about their loved one’s views to ensure donations don’t occur where the person would not have wished it.
The move to an opt out system received 82% support from respondents in a public consultation in 2017. It will add to measures that have contributed towards improvements in organ donation over the last decade in Scotland, which has seen an 89% increase in the number of deceased organ donors and a 78% increase in organ transplants.
Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell (above) 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.
“Organ and tissue donation is an incredible gift. Importantly, under the proposed system, people will still be able to make a choice about donation as they can now and there are safeguards to ensure their wishes are followed. I would encourage people to continue to make a decision about donation and to tell their family.
“Organ donation can only occur in tragic circumstances, and every donor, supported by their family, makes a selfless decision that can save other people’s lives.”
Under the proposed system there will be protections for adults without capacity to understand deemed authorisation, adults resident in Scotland for less than 12 months and children under 16 who will not be subject to deemed authorisation and will only be able to donate if they, or someone on their behalf, explicitly authorises it.
Less than 1% of people die in circumstances that enable organ donation to proceed, as a potential donor usually has to be in an intensive care unit and there may be medical reasons that mean organs are unsuitable for transplantation.
Since 2008 in Scotland, there has been:
Make joining the Organ Donor Register your New Year’s resolution
Figures for 2016/17 show a 34% increase in Scotland
The number of patients living in Scotland whose lives were saved or improved by an organ transplant has reached a record high.
New figures show that in 2016/17 there were 133 deceased organ donors in Scottish hospitals – up from 99 the previous year. This equates to a donor rate in Scotland of 24.8 per million of population – the highest rate in the UK. 348 people in Scotland waiting for an organ received a deceased donor transplant, which is also the highest ever number of transplants.
The NHSBT figures also show that the number of people in Scotland waiting for a transplant dropped to the lowest on record and that nearly 2.4 million people in Scotland are now on the NHS Organ Donor Register, which is approximately 45% of the Scottish population.
Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: “This is fantastic news and shows the real progress we’re making on organ donation. An increase in deceased donor numbers of 34% is not only really positive news for people waiting for a transplant, it puts us ahead of our target in progressing to reach 26 deceased donors per million of population by 2020.
“And it means that more Scottish residents than ever before received a life-changing transplant, although we know that there is still more to do to ensure that as many people as possible can receive the transplants they need.
“We must always be mindful that most organ and tissue donation can only occur as a result of tragic circumstances and I’d like to thank every donor and their family who made the selfless decision to donate their organs or tissue and enabled others to live and transform their lives. I’m also very grateful to staff across the NHS in Scotland who work tirelessly to ensure that people’s donation wishes are respected and that every donation counts.
“Our consultation on a soft-op-out system closed recently and the responses are currently being independently analysed. We have a presumption in favour and will be setting out our next steps in the coming months.”
Primary teacher Heather Marshall (above) was facing an uncertain future until she received a life-saving liver transplant in November 2016.
The 40 year old from Gartcosh was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) in 2015 – a liver condition that she was initially able to manage with medication. However in 2016, Heather’s health went into rapid decline, resulting in her being listed for transplant in October 2016.
At this point, Heather was retaining fluid, was constantly itchy and nauseous, was unable to lie down due to the threat of fluid filling her lungs and struggled to breathe or eat – a state she describes as ‘just existing’.
The liver she desperately needed came just three weeks after being listed for transplant and Heather admits that she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the decision of her donor and their family.
Heather said: “From the start of 2016, I noticed a dramatic difference in my health. I had no energy, didn’t feel great and my skin had started to become jaundiced. Throughout the year I struggled with infections to my bile ducts which resulted in me being referred to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to be assessed for a transplant at the beginning of October.
“When I left the hospital after a week of assessment I was shocked at how ill I looked. I’d been working up until that point, but as soon as I stopped it was like my body had just given up.
“I knew that a transplant would be necessary at some point as it’s the only real treatment for PSC, but I had no idea it would happen so quickly. I went from being someone who worked full-time to someone who could barely function in a few short months. As well as the physical limitations, it was mentally very difficult.
Speaking about her transplant, Heather said:“I was relieved and excited when I got the call. I knew I wasn’t well and that I didn’t have long without a transplant, but it was such a conflict of emotion. You’re so aware that to get that chance of life, something awful had to happen to someone else.
“I’d always been on the NHS Organ Donor Register and I think it felt easier to accept that gift, knowing I would be happy to do the same for someone else.
“You never expect that this kind of thing will happen to you or someone you know so organ donation isn’t something that’s top of your mind. I understand it’s not for everybody, but I would encourage people to think about it and make their wishes known.
“I know that without my transplant I wouldn’t be here now. I got married just after my diagnosis, and because of my donor I have a future. I’ll never stop being grateful for that.”
Make organ donation your New Year’s resolution
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt today issued a call for everyone to consider making joining the Organ Donor Register their new year’s resolution for 2016. Continue reading A second chance at life: ‘The greatest gift of all’
