Organ Donation

No, none of the major religions in the UK object to organ and tissue donation and transplantation. If you have any doubts, you should discuss them with your spiritual or religious adviser.

"My transplant gave me my life back. I have seen my children grow up and was able to get back to work. I owe all this to a 19-year-old man who wanted to give someone he had never met the gift of life."Heart transplant recipient.

No. However, organs are matched by blood group and tissue type (for kidney transplants) and the best-matched transplants have the best outcome. Patients from the same ethnic group are more likely to be a close match. A few people with rare tissue types may only be able to receive a well-matched organ from someone of the same ethnic origin, so it is important that people from all ethnic backgrounds donate organs.

Successful transplants are carried out between people from different ethnic groups wherever the matching criteria are met.

Yes and no. Any special appeal usually results in more people agreeing to become donors and can increase the number of organs available .

However, family appeals through the newspapers and television will not result in an organ immediately becoming available for the person on whose behalf the appeal was made. The patient will still be on the transplant list, just like everyone else, and the rules that govern the matching and allocation of donor organs to recipients still apply.

Yes. You can specify which organs you would wish to donate. Simply tick the appropriate boxes on the NHS Organ Donor Register form or on the donor card, and let those close to you know what you have decided.

No. Organs and tissue cannot be accepted unless they are freely donated. No absolute conditions can be attached in terms of potential recipients. The only restriction allowed is which organs or tissue are to be donated.