Families are being encouraged to have conversations about organ donation as the Scottish Government considers a Bill that would presume people's consent for having a transplant.
A Holyrood committee heard evidence from health bosses in Wales, where an opt-out system for organ donation was introduced in December 2015.
READ MORE: MSPs seek views on opt-out organ donation
If approved, the Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Bill would mean that individuals would need to specify that they do not want their organs to be donated after death.
The UK Government has made similar proposals, with the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill having passed through the House of Commons last month.
MSPs were told about the impact the legislation in Wales has had upon donors and their families since being brought in.
Although consent for donation is presumed unless otherwise stated, the committee heard it was important families are given a key role in the process.
Dr Katja Empson, of Organ Donation South Wales, said: "It would be impossible to work with a legislation that somehow enforced the decision to be pushed through, irrespective of what the family's position was in that situation.
"Ultimately, the specialist nurses and the clinicians that are working with that family would not want to harm that family in the sense that they would push through donation if it was clearly something that the family felt very much that they couldn't support."
Concerns have been raised about the prospect of families being asked to answer difficult questions regarding the health and social choices made by deceased relatives before any transplantation can take place.
Dr Empson said asking sensitive questions is an important step before any procedure can proceed.
"The expectation is that you will explore those themes with families and that our experience in that over the last few years suggests that it is necessary to ask those questions," said Dr Empson.
"It's my understanding that they're an essential part of the process of safe donation and transplantation taking place."
Richard Glendinning, who played a key role in the evaluation of the act in Wales, said that families can still have the final decision on whether to allow the organs of their relative to be donated, whilst acknowledging any wishes expressed by the individual.
He said: "Although there are occasions where families do overrule the presumed consent, or the opt-in consent that people give before they become deceased, those proportions are going down.
"One of the things we've recognised is the need to provoke conversation within the family of the issues but also of the conscious decision that people have made.
"So when people do opt in, we're encouraging them to have those conversations with their family so that the family are aware of the desire of their relatives before anything untoward happens."
Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for NHS Wales, said the process had been a largely successful one.
He said: "There's high levels of understanding and awareness of the legislation, and of the choices that people now have to make, and a generally positive feel that this is the right way to go for Wales."
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