New figures reveal there were 21 lifesaving deceased organ donors at Salford Royal last year, helping the UK reach its highest ever number of donors.
NHS Blood and Transplant and Salford Royal have released the figures to mark the publication of the annual Transplant Activity Report today and Salford Royal has one of the highest numbers of donors in England.
The report reveals there is growing support for organ donation around the country. Nationally, there was a record number of organ donors, with 1,600 people saving lives through deceased organ donation over the last year.
However, the report also shows that across the UK, fewer people died in circumstances where they were able to donate their organs – 225 fewer than in 2017/18. This means it is more important than ever that every person who wants and is able to donate their organs after death, is given the opportunity to do so.
Dr Chris Booth, Clinical Lead for Organ Donation from Salford Royal, said: “We are very proud at Salford to have supported so many families through the process of organ donation. Each of our donors has given a life changing gift to a transplant recipient somewhere in the UK. Please tell your family that you want to support donation. Letting your family know that you want to save lives will make it much easier if there comes a time when organ donation is a possibility.”
From spring 2020, the law around organ and tissue donation in England is changing. All adults in England will be considered as having agreed to donate their own organs when they die unless they record a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups.
Organ donation is a most precious gift and adults covered by the change will still have a choice whether they want to be an organ donor and their families will still be involved before organ donation goes ahead.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to our dedicated colleagues at Salford Royal and all the courageous donors and their families they worked with us to support and who helped us to save so many lives last year.
“Organ donation is the only hope for many desperately ill people. We know many families feel a sense of pride and comfort from their decision to let their relative’s final act to be saving lives through organ donation.
“No lifesaving transplant would be possible without the generosity of every donor and their families, who give their support and say ‘yes’ to organ donation.
With the law around organ donation changing in England from next spring, we urge everyone to find out about the choices available to them, make their decision and share it with their family.”
