Health Minister Mark Drakeford this morning (Tuesday 18 February) gave evidence to Members of the Scottish Parliament on Wales’ landmark organ donation legislation.
The Minister was invited to share his experiences and thoughts on the new soft opt-out system, which comes into force on 1st December 2015, with MSPs at the Scottish Government’s Public Petitions Committee.
In Scotland, more than 18,000 people have signed the Opt for Life petition urging the Scottish Government to introduce a similar law.
Mark Drakeford said:
“We are proud in Wales to be leading the way on organ donation in the UK. I was happy to share with MSPs our experience in changing the law here, which we believe will make more organs available for transplant, and save more lives.
“The questions put to me by MSPs this morning sought clarity on a number of issues, many of which were also raised by Welsh Assembly Members during the progress of the new law, which will come fully into force on 1st December 2015.
“The new law will work by clarifying people’s wishes around the issue of organ donation and, in turn, increase the rate of consent to donation. Evidence from other countries, including the most up to date research which we reviewed during the scrutiny of our legislation, shows a strong association between an opt-out system and an increase in organ donation.
“The reason our system is called a ‘soft’ opt-out system is that the role of the family continues to be important. The new law clearly respects the wishes of the deceased, however, relatives or friends of long standing may object to consent being deemed based on what they know about the views of the deceased.
“We know that communication is key – our two year public information campaign began at the end of 2013 and will encourage people to think about organ donation, discuss it with their families and consider the choices the new law will give them. We are paying particular attention to people who may not receive messages via mass media, such as those with communication difficulties, or certain ethnic communities.
“I was glad to share our experience with colleagues in Scotland and will follow the debate about the Opt for Life petition with great interest.”
