A radical shake-up of the UK organ donor scheme has been suggested during a Parliamentary debate.

MPs called for the law to be changed so that organs would be taken for transplantation after death unless the patient's relatives objected.

At present, the explicit consent of relatives has to be obtained by doctors, who complain that many are too distressed to consider the subject.

Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown called for a taskforce to look at legal changes.

He said: "The problem with the current system is it is considered at a time when somebody has died.

"They make decisions which often afterwards they say they regret."

'Butchers' offal'

He added that many potential organ donors were put off by the "butchers' offal" approach, in which they had to tick which particular organs they wished to donate.

Labour MP Tam Dalyell also urged ministers to consider an opt-out scheme.

According to Dr Evan Harris MP, a former hospital doctor, the number of organ transplants carried out in 1998 fell by 7% from the previous year.

"This is a silent tragedy taking place," he said.

"Thousands of people are dying for want of an organ that could save or transform their lives when we know organs are being buried or cremated with their hosts."

Increasing resources and bed numbers in intensive care units would increase the number of organs available, he said, as technically "dead" patients could be kept alive longer to allow doctors to get consent from relatives.

Shadow Health Secretary Liam Fox suggested the Government introduce one month during 2000 in which everyone visiting their GP would be given an organ consent form.

Such forms could also be distributed with electoral registration material.

The fall in the number of fatal road accidents, due to the introduction of seat-belt legislation, has been partly blamed for the ongoing fall in the number of organs available for transplantation.

Only 26% of UK adults have a donor card, and 18% actually carry them, yet some market research has suggested that seven in ten would be willing to donate.