There is a serious shortage of organs in Scotland

A special teaching pack for pupils has been launched by the Scottish Executive.

Last year about 600 people in Scotland were said to be waiting for transplants, but despite the high demand there were only 58 donors and a further 34 living donors.

The executive said the new pack was not designed to put pressure on pupils into giving consent but merely to inform them of the options.

The new resource contains a teaching guide and video on the main arguments surrounding organ donation and transplants.

The development of this pack has the potential, over time, to create a generation who can make informed choices about organ donation Malcolm Chisholm Health Minister

It covers sections on ethical and religious issues, transplant law and the importance of transplants, as well as real life stories from organ donors and recipients.

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said: "This is a remarkable initiative and, as far as we are aware, pioneering.

"Scotland appears to be the first country in the world to develop such a resource pack for use in schools.

"All those involved in its creation should be very proud.

"Apart from its intrinsic value as a teaching resource, the development of this pack has the potential, over time, to create a generation who can make informed choices about organ donation."

He added: "The aim of the pack is to educate young people on the issues surrounding organ donation and transplantation, not to promote the subject or pressurise them into consent or participation."

Transplant patients face long waits

Sue Sutherland, the chief executive of the UK Transplant organisation (UKT) said: "We know from our research that while many adults find this a difficult subject to discuss, children of school age have much less difficulty in doing so.

"The project has the potential, over time, to raise a more educated generation who make informed choices about organ donation and related issues and bring about a fundamental shift in public attitudes towards organ donation."

UKT is a health authority charged with maintaining the NHS organ donor register and allocating available donor organs on a UK basis.

The Scottish Transplant Group recommended that an education pack should be developed in a report in July 2002.

The group was set up in February 2001 to provide advice to the Scottish Executive on organ donation and transplantation issues.

It is made up of clinicians from transplant units across Scotland, patient representatives, a donor family representative and the UKT.

At the end of 2002, 577 people in Scotland were on the waiting list for a kidney, 21 for a heart or heart and lungs and 18 for a liver.