A Labour MSP’s bill to introduce a soft opt-out system for organ donation in Scotland has fallen at its first stage at Holyrood despite support from some SNP backbenchers.
Anne McTaggart’s Transplantation Bill was voted down after a Scottish Government amendment to reject it was supported by the majority of members.
The Government has proposed commencing its own detailed consultation on further methods to increase organ donations and transplants, including soft opt-out, as an early priority in the next Scottish Parliament.
It plans were backed by 59 to 56 MSPs, who were given a free vote on the legislation.
The Bill would have introduced a soft opt-out system as opposed to the current opt-in system, allowing for organs and tissues to be removed from an adult after death if they had not registered or expressed an objection during their lifetime.
Families would have been consulted to establish any objection that had not been registered.
Public health minister Maureen Watt told the chamber many of the measures contained in it could make things worse due to legal ambiguities and delays in the decision-making process.
There were particular concerns around authorised investigating persons and proxies – where people could nominate a proxy to confirm their desire to donate and possibly overrule opposing family.
Some of these issues could not be addressed in amendments to the Bill at stage two, Ms Watt said.
She added: “For the reasons set out, the Scottish Government can’t support this particular Bill, but we will instead commence work immediately on our own consultation to develop a safe, effective and workable system for Scotland.”