Organ and Tissue Donation

Organ Donors – saving and improving lives In the last year, over 1,500 people across the UK donated after they died, and over 1,000 people became living donors. Together they helped to save or transform the lives of over 5,000 people People in need of transplants rely on people being willing to donate their organs and tissue to save or positively transform their lives You can donate some organs (a kidney or part of your liver) while you are alive and can donate organs and tissue after your death You could save or improve up to nine lives by donating your organs when you die and make better the lives of even more by donating tissue.

UK Facts Around 6,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant across the UK On average three people die every day in need of an organ transplant because there just aren’t enough organ donors Over a third of patients waiting for a kidney transplant are from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Sadly, many will die waiting due to a lack of suitable donors People from black and Asian communities are more likely to develop conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and certain forms of hepatitis than white people. This makes them more likely to need a transplant Tissue type is linked to our heritage All the main religions of the UK support the principles of organ donation

Key statistics 2017/18 Over 1,400 people donated after death across the UK last year - a 4% increase on the previous year and the highest number ever. 66% of families agreed to organ donation in 2017/18 91% of families agree to donate if their loved one is on the NHS Organ Donor Register and if they are asked about donation by a Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation. One in five people who died on the waiting list in 2017/18 was from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background In general, 31% of people waiting for an organ transplant  are from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Sadly, many will die waiting due to a lack of donors  I think we need to be clear we’re talking about organ transplants here. % would be different for stem cell transplants

Jess, Charles, Ollie, and Dawn share their stories

End of life care Doctors will always try to save a patient’s life first: organ donation is only considered if a patient’s life cannot be saved and only goes ahead after they have died Organs are only removed for transplantation after a person has died and death is confirmed by doctors who are entirely independent of the transplant team Before the removal of organs takes place, NHS Blood and Transplant would ask your family to support your decision to donate and to provide important information about you A Specialist Nurse provides support and care for the donor and their family Families play a very important role, by providing important information about their loved one and supporting donation going ahead Many families take comfort from knowing something positive came out of their loss

Who can be a donor? Although more than half a million people die each year across the UK, only around 1 in 100 die in circumstances where their organs can be donated. Each patient who dies in circumstances where organ donation is a possibility (A&E and intensive care) is assessed individually It doesn't matter how old you are or if you have had an illness or condition, if you want to donate sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register Even if your organs can’t be used, you could still donate sight or other tissue to help others You don’t need to die in hospital to potentially donate tissue

What organs and tissue can you donate? Heart Lungs Liver Pancreas Small Bowel Kidneys Heart valves Bones Cornea Tendons Skin

Living Donation You can donate a kidney to someone in need of a transplant while you’re alive A living donor can donate to someone they know, such as a family member or friend, or someone they don’t know A living donor who donates an organ anonymously to someone they don’t already know is called a non-directed altruistic donor. Across the UK, a growing number of people have offered to donate anonymously to someone on the UK Transplant Waiting List Nearly 700 people across the UK have donated a kidney to a stranger while they are alive, alongside the many thousands who have donated to a family member or friend   To find out more about helping someone by being a living donor, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk/livingdonation  

The importance of having the conversation Many people don’t realise that their family’s support is needed for organ donation to go ahead. Talk to your family about organ donation, and let them know your decision and ask them if they want to be donors. Don’t leave your family guessing what you would have wanted to happen. Fewer than half of families agree to donation going ahead if they are unaware of their loved one’s decision to be a donor. This rises to over nine out of ten when the decision to be an organ donor is known. Sadly, many donation opportunities are lost every year because families don’t know if their loved one wanted to be a donor or not Many families feel enormous pride and comfort at knowing that their relative went on to save lives.

Beth’s stepdad explains how having the conversations helped with their decision.

Supporting donation The majority of people support organ donation 25 million people have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register Join them, signing up only takes about 2 minutes and can be done easily online. You could even take out your smartphone or tablet now and do it Remember to tell your family that you want them to support your decision to donate and save lives. They won’t know how you feel about organ donation, unless you tell them. Ask them whether they want to be donors too