Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is backing a new campaign led by NHS Blood and Transplant to boost the number of people prepared to help the thousands who face death unless they are given organ transplant. Please visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk for more information.
New research reveals that while most people (96 per cent of the population) would accept an organ if they needed one, just 27 per cent have registered as donors.
According to NHS Blood and Transplant, 10,000 people a year in the UK need a transplant, and three a day die before they receive one.
Amanda Small, Donor Coordinator at Milton Keynes Hospital, said: “This campaign is designed to encourage people to commit to helping someone live after their death.”
“By focusing on the gap between the number of us who say we would accept an organ if we needed one and the number who have actually joined the register, our campaign highlights the urgent need for those who believe in organ donation to act now. More transplants were carried out last year than ever before, but the need for organs never stops.”
“I would urge everybody who supports organ donation to show it by signing up to the organ donor register and discussing their wishes with their friends and family.”
Amanda Small was appointed to the post of Donor Coordinator in July 2009, and Consultant Anaesthetist Peter Reed is the Clinical Lead for Organ Donation.
The Department of Health set up these roles to bridge the gap between the number of organs available for transplant and the people of the transplant waiting list.
The Government aims to increase organ donation by 50 percent in five years to save thousands more lives. With the increasing effectiveness of transplantation, many more patients can be considered for treatment but there is a serious shortage of donors.
The aim of the Organ Donation Taskforce Programme Delivery Board (ODTPDB) is to deliver the 50 percent increase in organ donation. The board is driving forward projects to increase donations, for example introducing clinical donation champions in hospital trusts.
Please join the organ donor register
How to register
It’s simple to join the NHS Organ Donor Register using one of the following methods:
•Go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk
•Call 0300 123 23 23
•Text SAVE to 84118
•Pick up a leaflet from the Trust’s Main Reception (available next week)
Find Out More!
Medicine for Members Event – free and open to staff, members of the NHS Foundation Trust and the public
20 January 2010
Peter Reed, Consultant Anaesthetist and Clinical Lead for Organ Donation and Amanda Small, Donor Coordinator, will be delivering a talk entitled 'Organ Donation, Making the Unusual, Usual'.
Venue - Christ the Cornerstone, 6pm for a 6.30pm start
Please contact Anna Pryor, Membership Officer, 01908 243300 to register to attend the event.
