Church of Scotland �magazine �condemns the �government �ownership� of dead bodies

PLANS for a system of presumed consent for organ donation have "Orwellian" undertones, with the risk of bodies becoming a collection of spare parts according to the Church of Scotland's magazine.

A taskforce is currently examining whether the UK should change the current system of donation to allow the removal of organs from dead patients unless they had specifically "opted out" during their lifetime. Among those who have indicated support for such a move are prime minister Gordon Brown and first minister Alex Salmond.

However, writing in April's issue of the Church of Scotland's Life And Work magazine, editor Muriel Armstrong argued that many felt there was already too much interference by government, and ownership of the body with its "Orwellian undertones" would be a step too far.

She stated: "The prospect that our bodies, which have been the temple of the soul', being a mere collection of spare parts akin to a used car lot and wholly owned in death by the government is abhorrent."

Speaking to the Sunday Herald, Armstrong stressed that she was not against organ donation itself, but said: "It is the principle of whether it should be government-led, rather than done on a voluntary basis. Something has to be done to address the crisis, but is this the right way to do it?"

She added: "There is a very serious shortage of organs - wouldn't it be better if people responded to the crisis by generosity of spirit, rather than the government stepping in at all?"

The UK organ donation taskforce is due to set out its opinion on the issue of presumed consent this summer. In a separate report published earlier this year, it made a series of recommendations aimed at increasing the number of organs available for transplant. Currently only 25% of people in the UK are signed up to the organ donor register and more than 400 people die every year while waiting for a transplant.

The leader of Scotland's Catholic Church Cardinal Keith O'Brien - who has carried a donor card for 14 years - said organ donation is viewed by the church as a "noble and meritorious act".

But he argued it would be "morally wrong" to presume someone wanted their organs removed when they had not explicitly stated their consent.

"It is also important to remember that the success of an organ transplant significantly depends upon the freshness of the organ, meaning that the transplant procedure must take place as soon as possible after the donor has died," he said. "However, a donor must never be declared dead prematurely or their death hastened just to utilise their organs."

A spokesman for the Church of Scotland said it did not hold a view on the issue of presumed consent, though he added: "Obviously we believe it is good for people to donate their organs and the gift of life is fundamentally important."

The British Medical Association (BMA) and the UK's chief medical officers are among those who have backed a change towards an "opt-out" system. A spokeswoman for BMA Scotland pointed out brain-stem death had to be confirmed in order for donation to go ahead.

"Doctors are bound by a code of conduct and the ethics of the medical profession and it is illegal to hasten someone's death unnecessarily," she said. "There may be a fear that could occur, but certainly the doctors I have spoken to would be very concerned if that is the perception."

She added: "Organ donation is an individual choice and with the current system and the system of presumed consent, that choice still exists. It is not about the state owning the body, it is about making it easier for people to let their wishes be known."

Scotland has one of the lowest organ donation rates in Europe and earlier this month the first TV campaign was launched north of the Border urging people to sign up to the donor register.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish government would be implementing the recommendations of the organ donation taskforce to increase the rate of organ donation by 50% in five years.

She added: "In addition to this, I think it is really important that we consider seriously every potential way of increasing donation rates and I am sympathetic to the introduction of a system of opting out."