Orkney and Shetland Labour
12 June 2019
The Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of changing the system of organ donation to an opt-out system.
The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill was passed by MSPs in a move that Scottish Labour MSP Mark Griffin has praised as life-saving.
Mr Griffin, whose father Francis died in 2007 days after a heart operation following a 10-year wait for an organ transplant, previously introduced a Member’s Bill in 2016 which would have introduced an opt-out system, and pledged to work with the SNP government to change the system.
Mr Griffin’s initial proposal followed work driven by former Labour MSP Anne McTaggart in the last parliamentary term, which was voted down at the time by the government.
Mark Griffin MSP said:
“Too many families like mine have lost a loved one waiting for an organ donor.
“I’m delighted for all of those families waiting now that the system has now been changed, after many blocked attempts from doing so.
“This Bill will save lives throughout the country and ensure we have an organ donor system which is fit for purpose.
“I’m proud that the Scottish Parliament has risen to the occasion, so we can try to ensure that no more families will lose a loved one waiting for an organ donor.”
The Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of changing the system of organ donation to an opt-out system.
The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill was passed by MSPs in a move that Scottish Labour MSP Mark Griffin has praised as life-saving.
Mr Griffin, whose father Francis died in 2007 days after a heart operation following a 10-year wait for an organ transplant, previously introduced a Member’s Bill in 2016 which would have introduced an opt-out system, and pledged to work with the SNP government to change the system.
Mr Griffin’s initial proposal followed work driven by former Labour MSP Anne McTaggart in the last parliamentary term, which was voted down at the time by the government.
Mark Griffin MSP said:
“Too many families like mine have lost a loved one waiting for an organ donor.
“I’m delighted for all of those families waiting now that the system has now been changed, after many blocked attempts from doing so.
“This Bill will save lives throughout the country and ensure we have an organ donor system which is fit for purpose.
“I’m proud that the Scottish Parliament has risen to the occasion, so we can try to ensure that no more families will lose a loved one waiting for an organ donor.”