THE health service in Scotland, particularly under the current administration, has done a remarkable job of raising public awareness of the need to sign up to be organ donors.

And that has thankfully translated into more people than ever putting their names on the register.

However, the need far outweighs the availability of organs and every day people are dying before a kidney, heart or lungs become available.

And many more people face difficult, miserable lives on dialysis or attached to oxygen tanks as they wait for a life-changing phone call which may never arrive.

That's why the Evening Times launched its Opt for Life campaign almost three years ago, calling for a switch in the registration process to 'opt out' rather than 'opt in'.

Those who do not wish their organs to be used should still have an easy way to refuse. However, if the process started with the presumption that everyone was willing to donate, score of lives across Scotland would be saved or transformed every year.

The latest statistics suggest our stance is backed by 90% of the public. We're also backed by the British Medical Association, the British Heart Foundation and Kidney Research UK among scores of other organisations.

Now is the time for the Scottish Government to act and 'opt in' to save lives