THE Catholic Church has warned that a new "presumed system" of organ donation in Scotland could lead to "state ownership" of body parts.

Under plans being considered by the Scottish Government, there would be a presumption that organs would be donated automatically when a person dies unless they have opted out through the donor register or told family they were opposed.

But the Catholic Church has warned that the “integrity of the human person" would be "seriously impacted” as a result of the state “assuming control” over each person’s organs.

In a response to the consultation, Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, said: “As a result, citizens are at serious risk of falling foul of arbitrary and discriminatory choices made on their behalf."

"Not everyone will have the organisational or intellectual ability to challenge the state and/or the medical profession, and we have particular concerns that some groups will be poorly placed to do so, for example, the disabled, those in care of the state, the old/sick/infirm, and those who are from disadvantaged socio economic backgrounds."

The Herald:

Anthony Horan and Archbishop Philip Tartaglia

A record number of organs from Scots were donated after their death last year.

A total of 133 people who died in Scottish hospitals became organ donors, up from 99 the previous year, said NHS Blood and Transplant.

That meant that 348 people who were waiting for a transplant were able to have the surgery they needed.

A further 82 people received a new kidney from a living donor in 2016-17.

And the number of people who were waiting for a transplant fell to the lowest ever recorded, with almost 2.4 million people in Scotland now on the NHS Organ Donor Register - approximately 45% of the population.

The church, says explicit authorisation should be required in all cases, and that ministers should instead, "seriously consider"

introducing new initiatives to encourage people to donate similar to those introduced in Spain in 1989.

The system, depicted in the Oscar-winning movie All About My Mother by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, identifies potential donors by closely monitoring emergency wards. When they learn of a death, the co-ordinators tactfully talk to the grieving families to get permission to harvest organs and help save the lives of others.

Spain has since led the world in organ donations with 36 donors per million people - compared to just under 20 in the UK and 23.1 in Wales.

But the Catholic Church pointed out that high awareness campaigns and organ co-ordinators "cost money while simply switching to an opt-out system doesn't".

Mr Horan said: "With lives at stake, we should be willing to invest in proven models which lead to the outcomes we’d all support.

"Presumed consent denies individuals the right to make an informed choice about organ donation. It is vital that those whose organs are removed are given all the information necessary to allow them to make a positive, well-informed choice about what they would like the state to do with their organs on their death.

"Presumed consent effectively means state ownership of citizens' organs until the citizen decides otherwise. It is a policy that seriously questions the need for the state to recognise the inherent dignity of each individual as, first and foremost, a human being and not just as a statistic.

"The Catholic Church acknowledges the need for more organs to be donated to allow those who are suffering the opportunity to enjoy a better quality of life. Indeed the Church sees organ donation after death as a 'noble and meritorious act' to be encouraged as an 'expression of generous solidarity'. It is a gift and a sign of great love for one another.

The Herald: The number of registered organ donors has risen

"However, in order for this to be a true gift, it must be freely given and that is why the church also teaches that 'it is not morally acceptable if the donor or his/her proxy has not given explicit consent'."

Doctors' professional body BMA Scotland, which has long supported the move, says more than 530 people in Scotland are waiting for a transplant and in the year to March, 2015, 429 people died in the UK while waiting for a transplant.

Statistically, more than one in 10 people on the waiting list will die before they get the transplant they need, they say.

In response to the church's position, a Scottish Government spokesman said: “While we still need to consider the analysis of the consultation responses, the Scottish Government made clear in its proposals that it is very important that if an opt out system is adopted, it must ensure that people’s trust in Scotland’s NHS is maintained.

"Therefore, it is incorrect to suggest that the proposed system would deny individuals the right to make an informed choice about organ donation – the proposals in the consultation specifically aimed to encourage individuals to make an informed choice by considering their wishes in advance and to ensure that family members continue to be fully involved to make sure that a person does not become a donor if that was not likely to have been consistent with their wishes."

The spokesman added: “The Scottish Government and NHS Blood and Transplant have already learned lessons from many aspects of the Spanish approach to deceased organ donation and this has contributed to the significant increase in the numbers of deceased organ donors. In 2016-17 there was a 34% increase in numbers of deceased donors in Scotland – with 133 donors, compared to 99 in 2015-16.”