Man on transplant list for over a year backs organ opt-out system

Dundee electrician was told he may need a new heart when he was just 21 years old

A Dundee electrician who was told he may need a heart transplant when he was 21 has voiced his support for a Holyrood Bill to introduce an opt-out system for organ donation.

Ross Peters, 25, was on the waiting list for more than a year after being diagnosed with an inherited heart condition.

He said the proposed new system would open up the number of organs available to people like him and save lives.

Within the UK, Scotland is reported to have the highest proportion of people on the organ donor register but has the lowest rate of family consent and the lowest rate of organ donation.

MSPs are to vote on the Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill, which proposes changing the law to introduce a system in which everyone would automatically be considered to be an organ donor unless they opt out.

Ross said: “I was on the transplant waiting list for over a year so I know how it feels to wait for an organ.

“This change to the law is really important. The opt-out organ donation system will open the pool of hearts that are available to me and many others, and that will save more lives.”

Ross was rushed to hospital in 2015 where he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that means it is unable to pump blood around the body efficiently.

He was in shock when he was told he might need a heart transplant at age 21, describing it as the “worst moment” of his life.

Ross’s condition responded well to medication but 500 others were less fortunate and are currently waiting for an organ transplant in Scotland.

British Heart Foundation Scotland has supported the opt-out proposal and is encouraging cross-party backing for the change.

A similar change in the law in Wales in 2015 has resulted in family consent rates increasing from less than 49% to 70%.

However, the proposal has its critics on ethical grounds, with Christian charity CARE for Scotland urging MSPs to reject the Bill.

CARE for Scotland’s parliamentary officer, Dr Gordon Macdonald said: “Far too much of the debate so far seems to have been dominated by this naïve belief that the ethically troubling opt-out system will automatically see an increase in donor levels.

“Instead of spending millions of taxpayers money on ‘deemed consent’, the Scottish Government should be looking to increase the number of specialist organ donation nurses.”

I was on the transplant waiting list for over a year so I know how it feels to wait for an organ. ROSS PETERS

Dundee electrician Ross Peters was on the heart transplant waiting list for more than a year and is backing a proposed opt-out system for donors.