Meeting of the Parliament 09 February 2016
I congratulate Anne McTaggart on bringing the bill to the chamber and taking her proposals this far through the parliamentary process. Her bill has been an important part of a genuine national conversation about organ donation in this country. That is a testament to her hard work, the hard work of Drew Smith before her, and the campaigning efforts of Kidney Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, the Evening Times and many more.
Whatever the Parliament ultimately agrees to do on the bill, the conversation that was started by the opt for life campaign has been a healthy and productive one. If it has got people out there considering organ donation and thinking about their final wishes, the debate has been worth while.
I also state at the outset of my speech that I am firmly of the view that, if the changes that we are discussing were to become law, we could give real hope to people on waiting lists and save lives. It is for that reason that I support the principles that underpin the bill, and I hope that members on all sides can do so, too.
When we last debated transplantation, I mentioned the work of the organ donation task force. It is now eight years since the task force reported on ways to improve organ donation, and the progress that has been made in that time has been welcomed, particularly by the medical profession. Its findings have shaped policy, informed the work of Government and, many believe, contributed to an increase in donation rates. Better training and co-ordination and more awareness have all made a difference, yet despite the progress in recent years, real challenges remain, and they must be overcome.
I draw the Parliament’s attention to the written evidence that the British Heart Foundation Scotland supplied to the Health and Sport Committee, according to which nearly 7,000 people in the UK are on waiting lists and three people die each day waiting for an organ. Levels of organ donation are still low by European standards. Even though 90 per cent of the public say that they support organ donation, only 32 per cent are registered as organ donors. Over 46 per cent of families refused organ donation in a single year because they did not know their relative’s wishes. Long waits and confusion about families’ wishes are costing lives, and that is why the bill is so important.