LONDON (Reuters Health) - British doctors have thrown their support behind a proposal heard in parliament on Tuesday that suggests making significant changes to the country's organ donation system.

The British Medical Association said a Ten Minute Rule Bill tabled by parliamentarian Siobhain McDonagh (Labour, Mitcham and Morden) would increase the number of donors and improve the current shortage of organs for transplantation.

Ten Minute Rule Bills are often used by members of parliament as a way to make a point on the need for a change to the law, and to stimulate debate, rather than necessarily a serious attempt at making legislation.

The bill debated on Tuesday, "The Organ Donation (Presumed Consent and Safeguards) Bill", suggests presuming that people give consent for organ donation unless they specifically opt out.

"We're seeing an increasing gap between the number of people who need transplants and the number of donors. At the moment we're particularly anxious about the major source of organs, which are people who die in intensive care units," Dr. Michael Wilks, Chairman of the BMA's Ethics Committee, told Reuters Health.

Whereas 10 years ago, about 30% of relatives refused to allow the deceased's organs to be donated, now it is more like 50%, he said. At the end of December 2003, there were 7278 people on the transplant waiting list in the UK.

"We must increase the number of donors available and we believe that a system of presumed consent with safeguards, will do this. The BMA fully supports Siobhain McDonagh's efforts to promote debate on this issue," he said.

Studies show that around 90% of the population would be willing to donate organs after their death, the BMA said, but only 19% of the population are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

The scheme proposed by McDonagh would use the register to record the names of those who opt out of donating. Experience in Belgium, where a similar set-up is in place, suggests that only 2% of people would opt out, Dr. Wilks said.

The issue of presumed consent for organ donation is also being discussed in relation to the Human Tissue Bill that is now progressing through parliament.

That draft legislation, a response to organ donation scandals in hospitals over recent years, aims to put in place strong guidelines for retaining human tissue for research.

During meetings of a standing committee for the bill last week, Dr. Evan Harris (Liberal Democrat, Oxford West and Abingdon) raised the subject of presumed consent. That subject is expected to be taken further next time all MPs have an opportunity to debate the bill, Dr. Wilks said.

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