CHANGING Scotland’s transplant system has the potential to save the NHS millions, campaigners will argue.

The cost of switching to an ‘opt-out’ system will come under the spotlight at Holyrood this month.

Glasgow MSP Anne McTaggart is pushing forward a member’s bill calling for the change, on the back of the Evening Times’ Opt for Life campaign.

The Scottish Government has now issued a call for evidence on the financial implications from the steering group - which includes British Heart Foundation Scotland and the Evening Times.

It is estimated that transplants save the NHS around £316,000 a year, compared with medical treatment, such as kidney dialysis.

Experts believe that increasing organ donation rates by 50% has the potential to save a further £200,000,000 each year across the UK.

The Health and Sport Committee - which is scrutinising the bill - is also likely to begin taking oral evidence from next month.

Ms McTaggart is expected to be called to give evidence in December.

She said: “This represents another important step in the process of bringing forward the Bill.

“It’s vital that stakeholders respond and give their views on the financial implications of the Bill so that we end up with the best legislation possible.”

Under a ‘soft’ opt-out transplant system doctors can remove organs from every adult who dies – unless a person has registered to opt out.

However doctors would ask relatives if they know of any objections their loved one may have had to donation.

The current system across the UK relies on people signing up to a voluntary scheme and carrying a donor card stating they are willing to donate their organs.

It comes as recent figures showed Scotland has the worst organ donation rate in the UK.

Despite an increase in eligible donors in Scotland, actual donations fell by 10% on the previous year’s figures.

The country registered 18.4 deceased organ donors per million population last year, compared with 26.2 in Northern Ireland, 23.7 in Wales and 19.6 in England.