Record number of Scots get lifesaving surgery

HEALTH: Minister says transplants figure ‘shows real progress in organ donation’

A record number of Scots received a life-changing organ transplant last year, new figures have revealed.

The year 2016-17 also saw the highestever number of cases where people’s organs were donated after their death.

A total of 133 people who died in Scottish hospitals became organ donors, up from 99 the previous year, according to figures from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).

That meant that 348 people who were waiting for a transplant were able to have the surgery they needed.

A further 82 people received a new kidney from a living donor in 2016-17.

Public health minister Aileen Campbell said the increase in donations is “fantastic news” which “shows the real progress we’re making in organ donation”.

The number of people who are waiting for a transplant has fallen to the lowest ever recorded, with almost 2.4 million people in Scotland now on the NHS Organ Donor Register – approximately 45% of the population.

But Ms Campbell said more needs to be done to ensure as many people as possible can benefit from transplant surgery. The Scottish Government has just carried out a consultation on moving to a “soft opt-out” system of donation, where a person’s organs could be taken for transplantation after death unless they had specified this should not happen.

Ms Campbell added: “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.”