Organ and tissue donation week is right time to show your heart - Steve Cardownie
A former councillor colleague of mine, George Gordon, contacted me and asked if I would devote this week’s column to “Organ and Tissue Donation Week” which kicked off on Monday.
It runs through to Sunday along with the Scottish Government’s marketing campaign “Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones In Doubt”- and I was more than happy to do so.
George told me that the latest statistics did not make for good reading. He informed me that, in Scotland as of last month, there were 661 individuals on the active transplant waiting list, for the same period from 2024/25 there were 642 and for 2023/24 there were 640 and that this rise in waiting list numbers was obviously causing some concern.
This has been accompanied with a downward trend in the number of proceeding donations, with 96 in 2025/26, 105 in 2024/25 and 120 in 2023/24 and is also reflected in a drop in registration numbers with only 52.6 per cent of the eligible population currently registered for donation and 3.5 per cent opt-outs.
The Scottish Government’s campaign “seeks to encourage people aged 16 and over to record their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and to tell their loved ones too. The campaign includes TV, radio, digital advertising and responds to a significant and sustained decline in public understanding of Scotland’s opt-out system of organ and tissue donation.”
It notes that “Specialist organ and tissue donation nurses are seeing an increasing number of families who are unaware of Scotland’s opt-out system. When loved ones do not know a person’s wishes, family support for donation may be less likely, and authorised rates have declined in recent years.”
The Government stresses that “Although Scotland operates an opt-out system for organ and tissue donation, meaning that you may be considered willing to donate if no decision has been recorded, it is still important to make your wishes known.
“Recording your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, whether you choose to donate or not, remains important. It provides a clear record of your wishes and helps your family understand and respect your choice.”
It points out that families will always be involved in the donation process and may be asked about your latest views to help ensure your wishes are respected and that sharing your decision can help your loved ones know exactly what you would want, stressing that it is crucial that you don’t leave them in doubt.
The case for such donations is overwhelming and long standing but there is obviously a need to reinforce the message that people should register their decision and let it be known before it is too late.
The Scottish Government’s campaign is timely and will hopefully prove to be a success. It is easy to register via organdonation.scot which also provides answers to often asked questions such as: can you become an organ and tissue donor if you have a medical condition? Can I choose which organs and tissue I want to donate? Why is there a need for more organs and tissue? Are organs sometimes bought and sold?
It could not be any easier to register and potentially ease the suffering of others - please consider it!