Organ Donation

A call to double the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) to 16 million has been achieved – 12 months before the planned date.

Jumping for joy – a group of teenagers from Filton College in South Gloucestershire show their support for organ donation – statistics show that 30% of people on the Organ Donor Register joined when they were aged between 16 - 25.

The appeal was launched in 2001 by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn when the Register stood at 8 million and 5,532 people were waiting for transplant.

Now more than a quarter - 26% of the UK population – have joined the ODR pledging their organs for transplant after their death but the number waiting for the call telling them that a life-saving organ has been found for them has risen to almost 8,000 and continues to steadily increase.

Since January 2001, 23,551 life-saving organ transplants have been made possible thanks to the generosity of donors and their families but during the same period, at least 4,500 people died while waiting because a suitable organ could not be found in time.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the UK-wide organ donation organisation, pays tribute to those who have made this achievement possible.

Lynda Hamlyn, Chief Executive of NHSBT, said: “Reaching 16 million on the NHS Organ Donor Register a year before planned is testament to the support that exists for donation in the UK. More than a quarter of the population have demonstrated their commitment by signing the Register. But, with 8000 people in the UK currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, we need to do more.

“Around 3,000 organ transplants take place in this country every year, but during the same period approximately 1,000 people - 3 a day - die while waiting because of the shortage of donated organs.

“Please join the NHS Organ Donor Register. If you have already signed up, please talk to your friends and relatives about doing so. Every time someone joins, they offer the possibility of transforming someone else’s life and the lives of their families through their generosity,” Ms Hamlyn added.

Most organ transplants are carried out as a result of donation after death but today at least one in three of all kidney transplants take place through living donation, most often between couples and other family members.

Health Minister Ann Keen said: "It is fantastic news that 16 million people have put their names on the Organ Donor Register. But there is still much to do. We remain firmly committed to helping many more people benefit from a transplant and want to see organ donation rates rise significantly over the next four years from the current 800 donors to 1,400 per year by March 2013."

The most popular ways to join the ODR are through the driver licence application and through applications to register with a new GP practice. Other ways to register include the Boots Advantage Card, passport applications, a number of local authority SmartCard schemes and through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Joining the Register is easy, call the Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400, go online www.organdonation.nhs.uk or text GIVE to 84118. Alternatively, write to NHSBT, Fox Den Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8RR

High-res picture of group of teenagers
Picture caption: Jumping for joy – a group of teenagers from Filton College in South Gloucestershire show their support for organ donation – statistics show that 30% of people on the Organ Donor Register joined when they were aged between 16 - 25.

ENDS

For further information, please contact 0117 975 7477 or 7573, or the NHSBT 24-hour media pager on 07659 133 583

DID YOU KNOW?

• You are more likely to need a transplant than become a donor
• More women than men are on the ODR – 54% and 46% respectively
• 30% of the people on the NHS Organ Donor Register are aged between 16 and 25 when they join.
• More than 6 million ODR members joined through the DVLA or DVL Northern Ireland driver licence application or car tax renewal forms.
• Black people are three times as likely as the general population to develop kidney failure, which can lead to the need for a transplant.

Notes to editors:

• The NHS Organ Donor Register is a confidential database used to identify those who have registered and indicated that they wish to be organ and/or tissue donors in the event of their death. It can be accessed by authorised medical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week to establish an individual’s wishes on donation.
• NHSBT is carrying out an online survey to find out what the public think about organ donation to help develop its future publicity methods and promote the vital need for organ donors. The survey can found at www.organdonation.nhs.uk
• Last year 3,238 organ transplants were carried out in the UK , thanks to the generosity of 1,662 deceased and living donors – the highest on record – but the need for transplants is increasing faster than the number being performed.
• NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority in the NHS. It is the organ donor organisation for the UK and is responsible for matching and allocating donated organs. Its remit also includes the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS.