Organ donor laws in spotlight at city talks
Patients’ group hold policy discussion on ‘opt-out’ proposal
The future of Scotland’s organ donation laws will be discussed at a one-day event in Glasgow.
The conference, organised by patients’ rights group Scotland Patients’ Association, will stimulate debate about organ donation and the current transplant laws.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also Scottish health Secretary, will be the main speaker at the the hilton hotel on September 11.
The current opt-in system of organ donation will be discussed and the potential benefits for moving to an opt-out system, where everyone is considered a donor unless they opt out.
Scotland Patients’ Association supports a shift to an optout model, for which the evening Times is campaigning.
A five-year review of the current uK system is due to end early next year.
Ms Sturgeon has said she will look again at the issue if sufficient prog ress has not been made to increase donor rates.
Other speakers on the day will include Michael Clancy, director of law reform at the Law Society of Scotland; Professor Phil Dyre, consultant clinical scientist at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service; and Marc Clancy, a transplant surgeon at Glasgow’s Western infirmary.
There will also be a question-andanswer session and a chance for transplant patients to air their views.
Charities in attendance will include the Scottish Kidney Federation, which also supports a change to an opt-out system.
EScotland Patients’ Association believes the rights of patients are being compromised under the current system because families may veto donation for relatives who may have wished to be donors.
Dr Jean Turner, the association’s executive director, said: “it is a human rights issue. We have to give the patients a voice.”
The evening Times is campaigning for a shift to an optout system of organ donation.
This week we revealed we had hit our target of 10,000 signatures on our petition, which will be delivered to holyrood later in the year.
For more information on the conference or to book a place, send an email to: david@ keeplearning.org.uk
TeeNAGerS in Lanarkshire are being encouraged to join the organ donor register. At an event offering advice on careers in the NhS, pupils will be given the opportunity to participate in workshops on organ donation and transplants.
The careers workshop will take place at the West of Scotland university, Almada Street, hamilton, on Wednesday.