LESS than half of people locally have registered to donate their organs or tissues after death, according to latest data. 

A total of 87,386 people are signed up as donors in Renfrewshire, representing 49 per cent of its population.

Meanwhile, 42,613 are registered in East Renfrewshire, just 45 per cent of the area’s population. 

The figure places Renfrewshire in the top 10 local authorities in Scotland, beating the likes of neighbouring Inverclyde, where just 36 per cent are signed up, and West Dunbartonshire.

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However, both areas are still lagging behind the national figure, which stands at more than 50 per cent.

As of May this year, there were 25 people on the transplant waiting list in Renfrewshire and 10 in East Renfrewshire.

Last month, Megan Read, a specialist nurse with the NHS, hailed the impact of organ donation in modern medicine following Organ Donation Week, which ran throughout last week.

She said: “Being able to donate organs and tissue to help people who desperately need transplants is one of the greatest accomplishments of modern medicine.

“Organ Donation Week helped us to spread the message even further about just what is possible when a person joins the NHS register. 

“It’s easy to join; it takes less than two minutes to sign up and has the potential to transform the lives of up to seven people and help restore the sight of two people.”

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The number of people registered in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area stands at 48 per cent, while there are almost 200 people waiting for a kidney transplant. 

Meanwhile, the number for the whole of Scotland is 50.5 per cent, which is the highest percentage of UK countries. 

There are 565 people nationwide waiting for a transplant, but less than one per cent of the population will die in circumstances that enable organ donation to proceed.

The current legislation in Scotland for organ and tissue donation is to opt in, which can be done by joining the NHS register. 

However, there are plans to shift to a soft opt-out system. 

Under the proposals published at the Scottish Parliament, it will be assumed people are in favour of donation unless they confirm otherwise. 

The change of policy would follow the introduction in Wales of a presumed consent system in December 2015, which led to a rise in organ donations and an increase in the number of families agreeing to donations.

To sign up to the register or find out more about donating, visit organdonationscotland.org/yes.