In support of national Organ Donation Week, which runs 5 to 11 September, twenty four Trust vehicles have been branded and rolled out to help spread the word about the importance of signing up to the Organ Donor Register.
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According to an NHS survey, less than half (47 per cent) of families agree to donating their relative’s organs if they are unaware of their wishes.
Furthermore, there has been a shortage of transplant organs for black people, Asians and people from a minority ethnic background. “Living kidney donors should know that they are entitled to priority … if they ever need a kidney, and also that most prior living donors receive their transplant quickly”.
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to encourage people to get talking about organ donation.
The report went on to point out that the more people who donate, the more lives can be saved. People from BAME communities are also more likely to need a transplant due to a higher incidence of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of hepatitis.
The mum-of-one is among 76 people in Oxfordshire waiting for a transplant, and she is calling for more people to sign up as organ donors as part of NHS Blood and Transplant’s Organ Donation Week starting today.
It is hoped that these conversations will result in more people deciding that they want to turn their own end into a beginning for someone else; by signing up to the Organ Donation Register.
To join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 2323.
Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. That conversation is very important because if those closest to you do not know your wish, then it may come as a shock and they could find it more hard to support what you want in the future.
“No one wants to have to make the decision to allow their relative to become a donor, so by sharing these wishes, you make that decision for them”. Whether you’re a donor, someone who has had a transplant, or a friend or family of either, share your stories with us.
Currently, NHS Blood and Transplant figures show that only 47 per cent of families agree to organ donation if they are unaware of their loved one’s decision to be a donor.
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Ms Kerr called on families to talk about donation and said: “I think you need to ask yourself the question: if you needed a transplant, and someone said to you “you’re going to die, you need a transplant” if you’re answer is going to be “yes, I’d have one” then if you’re willing to take then you should be willing to give”.
