Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proudly supporting Organ Donation Week and an appeal for residents to talk about organ donation.
Over the last year, 121 people in Bradford have received lifesaving or life changing transplants. However hundreds of transplants are being missed around the country every year because families aren’t aware of their relative’s wishes.
During the week (w/c 4 September), NHS Blood and Transplant, hospitals, charities and supporters of organ donation are encouraging people across the UK to talk about organ donation with their relatives and friends.
This way, if you are ever able to be an organ donor; your family won’t be left with the responsibility of making a decision without knowing what you wanted.
NHS Blood and Transplant surveys show more than 80% of people support organ donation but only around half of people have ever talked about it. Research shows that women are 30% more likely to start a conversation about organ donation than men. (1)
Take part
Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ clinical lead for organ donation, Dr Andrew Baker said: “We’re proud to support this lifesaving appeal and it’s really easy for everyone to take part – just have a chat.”
“That chat might be the next time you sit down for a meal, when you are shopping or working, or when you are just driving in the car. If you want to be a donor, your family’s support is still needed for donation to go ahead, even if you are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.”
Families who agree to donation say that it helps with their grief and that they feel an enormous sense of pride at knowing their relative gave others the chance of a new beginning.
Lives are being lost
Anthony Clarkson, assistant director of organ donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are really grateful for Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ support because hundreds of lives are being lost every year.”
“This Organ Donation Week, tell your family you want to save lives. A few words now can make an extraordinary difference. It will also make things much easier for your family to make the right decision.”
“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?”
There is a particular need for more black and Asian people to talk about donation. Patients from these communities make up 29% of the national transplant waiting list but they are less likely to agree to donate. 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.
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