Spell out your organ donation decision

New figures out this week show that just 45% of families agree to organ donation going ahead if they are unaware of their loved one’s decision to be a donor but this figure rises to 95% when they know the decision. During National Transplant Week (July 7-13), I am highlighting the importance of telling family and friends your donation decision.

I attended a recent event at the Houses of Parliament organised by NHS Blood and Transplant and the British Kidney Patient Association. The aim of this year’s Transplant Week campaign is to get people to ‘spell out’ their donation decision to increase awareness that families will be asked to agree to organ donation and to encourage more people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.

I am on the Organ Donor Register myself and have seen at first hand the impact of organ donation. My Father in Law received a donated Kidney following years of kidney dialysis.Organ Donor

Letting your loved ones know you want to be an organ donor is so important. It is devastating for families when someone they love passes away so it’s not fair to expect them to have to make the decision for you. If you talk openly to your family about your decision to donate your organs it could save them a great deal of stress when you die.

On average 3 people a day die in need of an organ transplant in the UK because there aren’t enough organs available. Despite the thousands of life-saving transplant operations which take place every year, around 10,000 people are currently in need of a lifesaving organ transplant.

For further information about National Transplant Week and to register visit this weblink.

You can view statistics by council area and parliamentary constituency here.