Talk to your family about organ donation
The Trust and its staff are encouraging people to talk to their families about organ donation and help increase the number of lives saved or transformed by a transplant.
Every day in the UK, someone dies waiting for an organ transplant, because there just aren’t enough organ donors. There are approximately 85 people in Hertfordshire on the transplant waiting list. Between April 2022 and March 2023, 65 people in Hertfordshire received a transplant from a deceased organ donor.
The Trust’s clinical lead for organ donation, Dr Kate Flavin, said:
“More families in Hertfordshire are saying yes to organ donation, but there is still a shortage of donors. If you want to become a donor after you die you could save and improve the lives of up to nine people through organ donation and even more if you also donate tissue. You should talk about your decision with family and friends so that they know how you feel and you know how they feel. Families find it easier to support organ donation when they already know what their family member would have wanted.”
Kirit Modi, MBE, Chair of the Lister Area Kidney Patients Association ( LAKPA) said:
“The pandemic has affected organ donation activity nationally and we urgently need to recover from it. I urge all adults to consider registering to donate their organs after death and to talk about their decision with their family members. LAKPA will continue to promote organ donation locally to help save lives as well as to reduce the inequalities of access to organ donation.”
The best way to make your decision known is to record it on the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell your loved ones.
You can do that via our website, via the NHS app in England or by calling 0300 123 23 23. There are tips on the organ donation website which could help start the conversation with your family.
