A five-year plan to increase the number of organ transplants in Scotland has been outline, including living kidney donations and the use of innovative technology.
The plan has been published ahead of the new opt-out system for donors which comes into effect on March 26.
If an adult does not opt out of donation they will be considered donors from Friday, however there will be safeguards in place to prevent donations which would have clashed with the person's wishes.
There are many factors involved in determining whether donations can go ahead and only around 1% of people die in circumstances donation is possible, according to the Scottish Government.
The Government's Donation and Transportation Plan for Scotland: 2021-2016 sets out a series of recommendations to increase organ transplants.
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It includes steps to raise the number of people who donate tissue after they die and bids to improve the care given to patients in the years after their transplant.
Public health minister Mairi Gougeon said: “This new action plan sets out a clear ambition of increasing organ and tissue donation and transplantation to enable more of those people who desperately need a transplant to access one.
“Over the last 10 years, a great deal of progress has been made. However, there is still a lot more to do.
“Too many people are still tragically dying waiting for a transplant and too many others are still waiting too long for their transplant.
“The opt-out law change is one of many initiatives under way to help deliver improvements and the measures set out in this plan will contribute further.
“The Scottish Government is confident the package of measures included in the plan – both new recommendations and initiatives already started – will enable us to continue to save and improve the lives of those on the waiting list by increasing the numbers of transplants over the next five years.”
The plan recommends that renal units are asked to make a living donor transplant the default option for patients waiting for their first kidney transplant.
It emphasises that it is “vitally important that no-one feels in any way pressured into becoming a living donor”.
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Yet the plan stresses that viable living donations should be the first option explored and encouraged, before considering a deceased donor transplant.
It also recommends using novel technologies to boost the number of viable organs for transplantation.
The plan maintains that transplant units need to continue working with all NHS boards to increase equity of access to transplantation across Scotland.
It underlines the importance of diagnosing organ failure early and “factors such as where someone lives doesn’t affect their chances of being referred for a transplant”.
The co-chairs of the Scottish Donation and Transplant Group, John Casey and Dr Iain Macleod, said: “The new action plan will build on the progress made in recent years to improve transplantation and organ donation in Scotland.
“It contains key elements which will improve the lives and experiences of patients and, as such, we very much welcome its introduction.”
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