By CAROLINE WILSON
Health Reporter
PATIENTS are missing out on life-saving transplants because some doctors are not as “enthusiastic” as others about organ donation, a top clinician has warned.
Dr Charles Wallis, of the Scottish Intensive Care Society, admitted that grieving relatives may not even be asked if they consent to donation in some cases.
Dr Wallis, who is an intensive care doctor, said varying rates of organ donation across Scottish hospitals might, in part, be down to the attitude of the consultants approaching families.
Politicians who are scrutinising a new bill to change Scotland’s transplant system described Mr Wallis’s comments as “shocking”.
The Health and Sport Committee met yesterday for the second day of evidence for Glasgow Labour MSP Anne McTaggart’s bill to introduce an automatic organ donor register, where individuals are required to “opt out” if they do not wish to donate organs after death.
Ms McTaggart said the change would lead to a “culture shift” in attitudes to organ donation, which would make it easier for doctors to broach the subject with families.
It came as new figures showed massive public support for a new opt-out system in Wales, due to come into force on December 1.
Only 3 per cent of the public in Wales has “opted out” of organ donation according to the Welsh Government and, crucially, the research also showed that 72 per cent of the public understand the changes.
Labour MSP Anne McTaggart launched the Transplantation (Authorisation of removal of organs) bill on the back of the Evening Times’ Opt for Life campaign.
The committee yesterday heard evidence from Dr Wallis, Professor David Galloway of the Royal College of Physicians and Dr Calum McKellar of the Scottish Centre on Bioethics.
Committee Convenor Duncan McNeil MSP asked the panel if they were satisfied that all potential organs for transplant were being identified in Scottish hospitals. He questioned why rates varied so widely across Scottish hospitals.
Mr Wallis said: “It might be down to attitudes of clinicians.  Some may be more enthusiastic about organ donation.”
Mr McNeil described as “shocking” the idea that the prospects for someone waiting for a life-saving transplant would depend on the attitude of doctors, who are approaching families.
All three agreed that action is required to tackle a “shortfall” of organs for transplants in Scotland, which is facing a 10 per cent reduction in the number of donors this year.
Labour MSP Rhoda Grant said the bill would help ensure the wishes of the deceased are respected because families will not be asked to give permission but will rather, be asked if they know of any objection of the love one to organ donation.
She said: “We know that half of the people on the register will have their wishes rejected by families. This bill seeks to do something about that.We are losing half the organs available.”
Convenor Duncan McNeil said the family refusal rate was 10 per cent amongst ex-pats living in Spain, which has the highest organ donation rates in the world and uses an opt-out method. The current rate in Scotland is about 46 per cent.
Anne McTaggart MSP said: “The current system of organ donation is not working. Evidence from countries who already operate a soft opt-out system suggests an expected increase of between 25 and 30 per cent in organ donation rates.
“A switch to a soft opt-out, together with a high-profile campaign, will lead to a fundamental shift in the way organ donation is viewed and will have a life-changing effect on the 571 people currently waiting for a transplant.”
The panel was critical of Dr McKellar’s view that a change to an opt-out system could be “unethical” because everyone may not be aware that the law has changed.
Mike Mackenzie, SNP MSP, said: “The same principles apply to the rest of the law.  Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
All three giving evidence agreed that there had to be “strong public confidence” for the bill to be passed. 
A new survey carried out on behalf of the Scottish Government indicates the majority of the Scottish public would be supportive of a system of deemed consent.
Two more evidence sessions are due to take place before the committee decides if the bill proceeds to the final, third stage of a vote.
In order for the bill to proceed, it must gain the backing of five MSPs out of nine who make up the Health and Sport Committee.