Scotland’s First Minister has backed the idea of presumed consent for organ donation, amid calls for Scotland to lead the way in the field.

The support comes after a British Medical Association (BMA) survey found that Scottish approval of an organ donation opt-out system was at 74 per cent, 10 per cent higher than in the rest of the UK.

Under such a system it is assumed that people are willing to donate their organs after death unless they have stipulated otherwise.

Dr Peter Terry, Chairman of BMA Scotland, was keen to emphasise that there would "always be a choice," stating: "Discussions with the family should also continue before donation takes place."

In the light of strong Scottish support Lord George Foulkes, Labour MSP, has called for Scotland to continue setting the pace for the UK, as it has done in the past with measures such as the smoking ban.

However while both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, the Secretary for Health and Deputy First Minister, have expressed support for the campaign, they have been keen to point out that any measures would need to be the same across the UK.

Ms Sturgeon commented: "Organs available for transplantation are allocated on a UK-wide basis. The work on presumed consent needs to be undertaken across the UK, to avoid the risk of different systems developing in different parts of the UK."

According to figures from the BMA, 9000 people currently need an organ transplant in the UK and around 400 hundred die every year while awaiting kidney, lung, heart or liver transplants.

An overwhelming 69 per cent of the Scottish population surveyed indicated that they would be happy to donate organs for transplantation but only a quarter of those in the same sample were on the organ donor register.

Dr Terry commented: "A system of presumed consent would address the apathy that exists towards signing up to the NHS Organ Donor Register. Presumed consent would mean that the views of the majority become a reality.

"It is now time to take this to the people of Scotland more widely."

The tide of support for an opt-out, rather than opt-in policy, towards organ donation seems to be turning in Scotland. The BMA’s survey showed Scottish support had increased by 10 per cent since its last poll in 2004. In addition the country’s chief medical officer, Dr Harry Burns, recently presented a U-turn on his stance on the issue by declaring his approval of the policy.

At the SNP party conference last month a motion supporting the proposal was passed with overwhelming support.

Anne McLaughlin, the SNP Glasgow Convenor who tabled the motion, told The Journal she was "really pleased" by the First Minister’s backing but she felt that "even more positive was the overwhelming support from the conference as a whole."

Ms McLaughin’s own findings, from a survey conducted at the conference, almost exactly mirrored the results found by the BMA for Scotland. Ms McLaughlin said she agreed with the comments by the Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon on the issue and maintained that the next steps would be "to have a lengthy consultation, so that people know exactly what is involved."

The UK-wide Organ Donation Task Force is currently exploring the option of organ donation opt-out at the request of Westminster Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson. However George Foulkes has pledged that, if the SNP Executive does not take action on the issue of organ donation opt-out, he will table a private members bill.

Those wishing to show their support for Lord Foulkes campaign can join the Facebook group For Foulkes Sake, Support Opt-Out.