NHS issues first-ever urgent organ donation alert with 9 people dying every week

NHS issues first-ever urgent organ donation alert with 9 people dying every week The NHS has launched an urgent organ donation response plan to get a million more Brits to sign up, as transplant waiting lists hit a record high The NHS is launching its first ever urgent organ donation response plan after a fall in donations. A record transplant waiting list means nine people a week are currently dying because no suitable organ is available. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) says donor numbers are 9% below this time last year, and is launching an urgent appeal for people to sign the organ donation register. Some 8,700 patients are now on the waiting list desperately waiting for a transplant because fewer grieving families have been consenting to donate their loved ones’ organs since the COVID-19 pandemic. Family consent rates are down almost a fifth in the last five years, having dropped from 68% down to 59%. Health chiefs say there has also been a shift in the circumstances in which people are dying, meaning there are fewer opportunities for organ donation. NHSBT is making an urgent appeal for one million Brits who have never registered before, to confirm their wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register this year. Each donor can potentially save up to nine lives. Anthony Clarkson, director at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are facing one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in over a decade. The sharp decline in donors and the rising number of people waiting for a transplant need urgent action. “We have already adapted significantly to changes in the donation environment. But, saving lives and reducing the waiting list needs collective effort across the NHS and society.” Miriam’s Gift of Life Miriam Lee died when she was 17 from sudden cardiac arrest. The teen from Northamptonshire had signed the NHS Organ Donation Register so parents Nicola and David knew her wishes and consented to her donating. Miriam’s liver went to Ollie Jolliff, from Dorset, who needed a transplant at 11-months-old in 2016 due to a genetic condition. Nicola said her daughter's death was "completely out of the blue". She said: “Miriam had registered on the Organ Donor Register when she was registering to give blood and as a part of the process, she had also told us her wishes. So, we knew we had to honour them. She wanted to offer everything she could and positively impact as many lives as possible.” The transplant saved Ollie’s life but came after his elder brother Kieran had died from the same condition four years earlier. Their mother Hannah Jolliff said: "Sadly, a transplant wasn't an option for Kieran and he passed away at four years old, having spent most of his life in hospital. It was incredibly difficult and we miss him every single day. "Ollie was on the list for 11 months, time which we spent in and out of hospital, unable to travel in case we got the call, and desperately hoping that Ollie would get the transplant he needed. We got the call to say that a match had been found for Ollie on the morning of what would have been Kieran's 10th birthday. "It's 10 years this year since Ollie received his transplant and he's doing so well - he's going into his last year of primary school, he's got passions and interests and he's living his life like any other 10-year-old boy. We feel incredibly lucky." Nicola said: "When we heard from Hannah and Mike and learned that Miriam's liver had gone to tiny Ollie, it was such an emotional moment. Meeting them was more emotional still and it has been a true honour to see Ollie grow up." Mrs Jolliff added: "Ollie knows he's got a special liver, and he knows that Miriam is the special girl who gave it to him. We're so aware of how different things could have been had Miriam and her family not made the decision to donate. It was a difficult and completely selfless decision, and we are so grateful to them.” Only 1% of people in the UK die in circumstances where donation is possible and the pool of eligible donors has reduced by around 20% since the pandemic. The main causes of death for eligible deceased organ donors are severe brain injuries, strokes and a sudden lack of oxygen to the brain. There has been a reduction in trauma-related deaths particularly among younger people in recent years. Road traffic collisions have reduced and there have been improvements in care for major trauma and major head injuries. As the population ages those eligible people who do die from trauma-related injuries tend to be older - more likely to have other health conditions which prevent organ donation. New figures released today show that over 700 potential donations did not go ahead in the period between April 2021 and March 2026, because families did not know for certain what their loved one would have wanted and so vetoed it. Each deceased donor will donate three organs on average, which means there were 2,127 missed opportunities for transplant. NHSBT says that families support donation 90% of the time when they know their loved one’s decision but this falls to around 50% when no decision is listed on the organ donor register. In the past decade around 5,000 people have died waiting for a life-saving transplant. The unprecedented NHS urgent response plan is getting hospitals together with clinics and healthcare partners to increase donation opportunities. The Mirror campaigned for Max and Keira’s law in the name of Keira Ball, who died, aged nine, in a car crash, then saved the life of Max Johnson, nine, who received her heart. The law change which came into force in 2020 and was credited with helping keep organ donation going during the Covid crisis. It meant there would be a presumption in favour of donation but bereaved next of kin would always retain their right to veto transplants. ‘Mirror readers helped change the law - now we need your help to save lives’ Rommel Ravanan - chief medical officer at NHS Blood and Transplant "The Daily Mirror's Change the Law for Life campaign helped transform the conversation around organ donation in the UK. But today, despite that progress, we face a new and urgent challenge. "Organ donation rates, family consent and patients who are eligible to be donors have all fallen significantly since the pandemic and we are yet to discover exactly why. "That's why we have responded to these challenges by implementing an urgent response plan to address what is becoming the most challenging period for donation in more than a decade. "NHS teams across the country are working together to maximise every donation opportunity, but there is also a simple action Mirror readers can take that could save lives - make your organ donation decision known and join the NHS Organ Donor Register. "Over the last five years, more than 700 potential donations did not go ahead because families were unsure what their loved one wanted. That uncertainty led to more than 2,100 missed transplant opportunities. "While the law around organ donation has changed, thanks in part to campaigns like the Mirror's, families still play a vital role in the process. "Speaking with the family helps to understand the person’s wishes, support them and give them the opportunity to ask questions and understand what donation involves. Most importantly, families can provide clinicians with vital information about their loved one's health and lifestyle which may be critical to the suitability of organs for transplant. "We know that when relatives are aware of a loved one's decision to be a donor, they support donation in 90% of cases. That is why NHS Blood and Transplant is calling on an extra one million people to confirm their decision for the first time on the NHS Organ Donor Register by the end of the year. "It takes just two minutes. Recording your decision and sharing it with your family removes doubt at a difficult time and ensures your wishes are respected. "Mirror readers helped change the law. Now we're asking them to help save more lives by making their decision known." To find out more and to register an organ donation decision call 0300 123 23, visit organdonation.nhs.uk or use the NHS app.