Radical overhaul to organ donation system

Ms Sturgeon said she was "sympathetic" to the policy of "presumed consent" that would mean, unless people opted out of the donor register or family members objected, hospitals would be allowed to take their organs.

The Organ Donation Taskforce, set up by the UK Government in 2006, will publish its report next week.

Although the taskforce has not dealt with the issue of presumed consent, it will make 14 recommendations, which it is hoped could lead to a 50% increase in organ donation within five years.

That would result in an extra 120 transplants a year, saving hundreds of lives.

Ms Sturgeon said: "I welcome the taskforce's report and can confirm that Scotland is fully committed to implementing its recommendations.

"The shortage of donor organs for transplantation is an increasing problem and we are determined to address this.

"I want everyone to consider signing up to the register and for this important issue to become widely discussed."

The minister said more Scots have put their names on the donor register than in any other part of the UK.

"Despite this, Scotland still has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the EU and it's clear that we need to do much more to increase the number of donors," she added.

"That is why I have asked the Scottish Transplant Group to take forward implementation of the recommendations in Scotland.

"Although the report does not deal with the issue of presumed consent, I want to repeat that I am sympathetic towards the idea of introducing a system of presumed consent and I welcome the fact that the task force is considering this approach."

However, any move to presumed consent is likely to face opposition from patient groups.

Both the watchdog Patient Concern and the Patients Association have said they are opposed to the policy.

Writing in a Sunday newspaper, Mr Brown said: "A system of this kind seems to have the potential to close the aching gap between the potential benefits of transplant surgery in the UK and the limits imposed by our current system of consent."

According to UK Transplant, between April 2006 and March 2007 more than 3000 organ transplants were carried out, thanks to 1495 donors.

And 949 lives were saved in the UK through a heart, lung, liver or combined heart/lungs, liver/kidney, liver/pancreas or heart/kidney transplant. At the end of March 2007, 7234 patients were listed as waiting for a transplant.

Almost one million more people pledged to help others after death by registering their wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register, bringing the total last March to 14,201,229.

Lynne Holt, spokeswoman for Transplant Sport UK, said: "Hopefully it will encourage families to discuss their wishes with their loved ones. That's the most important thing. We know organ transplantation is hindered by people not having discussed their wishes and families not carrying out wishes."

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Heart transplant is a life- saving treatment for many patients.

"The greatest limitation to giving more terminally-ill heart patients a chance of life is the shortage of donor organs.

"We support a system of presumed consent because it would maximise the number of organs available and save lives.

"However, such a system will require public support and trust if it is to be successful, and there must be safeguards to ensure that no organs are taken from people who would have objected.

"All parties involved must work hard to win over public opinion on this issue because the benefits are clear and tangible: lives saved, young and old."

The Organ Donation Taskforce was set up in 2006 to look at barriers to organ donation.