Transplant Information and Registering as an NHS Organ Donor in the UK
Carry the Donor Card
Giving someone a future after your death
Transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern medicine. But they depend entirely on the generosity of donors ad their families who are willing to make this life-saving gift to others.
One donor can give life to several people and restore the sight of two more.
There is a critical shortage of organs and the gap between the number of organs donated and the number of people waiting for a transplant is increasing. Right now, more than 7,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant and every year nearly 400 people die while waiting.
If you are a Black Person you are 3 times as likely as the general population to develop kidney failure. As many as a third of black people will develop diabetes and high blood pressure by the age of 60. This can lead to kidney disease and kidney failure. Right now nearly 400 black people are waiting for a transplant. Some of them are small children.
The need for donors has never been greater.
What is organ donation ?
Organ donation is the gift of an organ to help someone else who needs a transplant. Hundred’s of people’s lives are saved each year by the generosity of organ donors.
Organs that can be donated after death include the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas and small bowel. Tissue such as skin, bone, heart valves and corneas can also be used to help others.
Doctors and nurses are committed to doing everything possible to save life and organ donation is only considered after a patient has died. Most donated organs come from people who die while on a ventilator in an intensive care unit, following a severe brain injury.
What to Do
Facing up to the death of a loved one is hard. Having to make a decision about organ donation, when you are unsure what that person would have wanted, can add to the pain.
Let your family and friends know your wishes. Talk to them now. tell them you would like to help others after your death and join the NHS organ Donor Register
Over 11.5 million people have already joined the register. A nationwide confidential list of people who are willing to donate after their death, the register confirms your decision to be a donor if the time ever comes.
To register or find out more:
Visit the NHS Organ Donation website at https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/default.asp
Organ Donor Line: 0300 123 23 23