Almost 50% sign up to be organ donors
KAIYA MARJORIBANKS
Locals who have recorded their views on whether to donate their organs have overwhelmingly opted to do so.
New figures released to coincide with Organ and Tissue Donation Week (September 20-26) reveal over half (52.3 per cent) of people in the NHS Forth Valley area have now registered their donation decision.
As the week marks the six-month anniversary of Scotland’s move to an opt out system of organ and tissue donation, figures show 49.4 per cent of people in Forth Valley have recorded a decision to be a donor, with 2.9 per cent choosing to opt out.
The opt-out system was introduced on March 26 this year to save and improve lives, meaning that if people aged 16 and over haven’t opted out of donation, they will be considered a possible donor if they die in circumstances in which they could donate.
Under the opt-out system everyone has a choice – to be a donor or opt out of donation – but it’s important to make that decision known. If people choose to do nothing, it will be assumed they have agreed to donate certain organs and tissue for transplantation, unless they’re in a group for whom the law doesn’t apply.
In Scotland, there are an average of around 500 people waiting on an organ transplant, however only around one per cent of people die in a way that makes organ donation possible.
Dr Helen Tyler, NHS Forth Valley consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine and clinical lead for organ donation, said: “It’s encouraging to see the number of people in the area who have recorded their donation decision. Organ and tissue donation remains a personal choice, but it’s important to make your decision known.
“You can record your decision at any time on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Sharing that decision with family is also important, as having that knowledge can make it easier for them to honour it.”
Minister for public health, Maree Todd, said: “We have made tremendous progress in increasing donation and transplantation rates in Scotland over the last decade, with the move to opt out part of a package of measures to reduce the number of people in Scotland waiting for a transplant at any one time.
“We are committed to continuing to raise awareness of the choices people have under the opt out system and the importance of making their donation decision known. The simplest way to do this is to record your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and share it with those close to you.”
For more about the law change, and to record your donation decision, visit organdonationscotland.org or call 0300 123 23 23.
The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Act 2019 was passed in June 2019 and came into effect in March 2021. It amends the existing Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 by introducing a new, additional authorisation called ‘deemed authorisation.’ This means that donation may proceed where adults aged 16 and over were not known to have any objection to donation.
Families will be consulted about their loved one’s views to ensure that donation does not proceed against the donor’s wishes.
The law includes protections for: adults without capacity to understand deemed authorisation and take the necessary action, adults resident in Scotland for less than 12 months before their death and children under 16. These individuals will not be subject to deemed authorisation and will only be able to donate if they, or someone on their behalf, explicitly authorises it.
People will not be on the NHS Organ Donor Register until they register a decision.