Organ and tissue donation law change coming
A new law on organ and tissue donation will come into effect next month as Scotland moves from an opt-in to an opt-out system.
The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Act 2019 set out that from Friday March 26, if you die in circumstances where you could become a donor and have not recorded a donation decision, it may be assumed you are willing to donate your organs and tissue for transplantation.
This is commonly referred to as an ‘opt-out’ system, however, the law also requires that families are consulted in order to ensure that donation does not proceed where it is against the donor’s wishes. Organ donation is a personal choice and you do still have a choice if you want to be a donor or not when you die.
You can record your donation decision by registering it on the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.organdonationscotland.org.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran medical director, Dr Crawford McGuffie, said: ‘Organ donation isn’t something that comes up in everyday conversation, but ahead of the law changing we’re encouraging people to make time to think about what they’d want to happen, and share it. Your name will not be on the NHS Organ Donor Register until you record a decision. Everyone has a choice about whether or not they want to donate, and the best way to make it known is by recording it on the register and telling those close to you.’
For more about the law change, or to opt in or out, visit organdonationscotland.org or call 0300 303 2094.