Talk about organ donation and save lives
134 people in Lancashire died waiting for a transplant every decade
It's been revealed 134 people in Lancashire die waiting for a transplant every decade.
The NHS says people need to tell their families if they want to become donors.
Hundreds of life saving transplants are being missed every year because families don’t know what their relative wanted. Left to make the decision for someone they love, families often decide it is safer to say no.
The reluctance to talk about the issue is contributing to a deadly shortage of organs.
In Lancashire, there are currently 133 people waiting for a transplant. They will only receive that life changing call if people make sure their families know they want to be a donor.
The parents of 4 year old Violet Grace Youens from St Helens, who died in a hit and run earlier this year, chose to donate many of her organs after her death.
Anthony Clarkson, Assistant Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It’s a tragedy that people are dying unnecessarily every year in Lancashire waiting for transplants.
“If you want to save lives, don’t leave it too late to talk to your family"
“If you want to save lives, don’t leave it too late to talk to your family. In Lancashire there are more than 521,000 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register. However if you want to be a donor, your family’s support is still needed for donation to go ahead.
“If you are unsure about donation, please ask yourselves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant? Would you accept a life-saving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?”
In Lancashire there is a particular need for more black and Asian people to talk about donation. There are 29 black or Asian people from Lancashire currently waiting for a transplant.
Organs from people from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a close match and give the best chance of a positive outcome.
NHS Blood and Transplant surveys show more than 80% of people support organ donation but only around 49% of people have ever talked about it.
Research shows that women are 30% more likely to start a conversation about organ donation than men.
Families who agree to donate say it helps with their grief and that they feel enormous sense of pride at knowing their relative gave others the chance of a new beginning.
NHS Blood and Transplant wants everyone in Lancashire to be able to save lives through organ donation and not be prevented from doing so because they have not told a relative their decision.
To support Organ Donation Week visit http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/get-involved/promoting-donation-hub/download-digital-materials/organ-donation-week/