Organ donation campaigners celebrate record high donor numbers

Campaigners for organ donation in Tyne and Wear say they're thrilled by news that for the first time ever, more than 1,500 people have donated their organs after they died.

Latest figures for the end of the financial year show there were 1,575 deceased donors during 2017/18, an 11% increase on the previous financial year . It is the highest ever number of donors in the UK. There were 162 more deceased donors than the previous year, the highest year on year increase in 28 years.

Sally Johnson, NHS Blood and Transplant Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation, said:

"I am so grateful to all those families who have chosen to help others at a time of personal tragedy. This news will give hope to the desperately ill people who are waiting for that lifesaving phone call.

“The increase in donations and transplants is made possible thanks to the generosity of donors and their families. It also reflects the hard work of all the NHS staff who make this incredible service possible. This year we asked clinicians to miss no opportunity to make a transplant happen and despite the pressures on the NHS they’ve responded magnificently.

“Our clinical leaders and specialist nurses have worked hard to reduce the number of missed referral opportunities by 28% this year. Now, 99% of potential donors through brain death are referred to us, and 89% of potential donors through circulatory death are referred to us. These are figures that would that would make any country in the world proud. We want to thank everybody involved, all the Intensive Care Units, Emergency Departments, and Specialist Nurses who are helping save more lives through organ donation.

“We need to stress that the deadly shortage of organ donors remains. Around three people who could benefit from a donated organ still die a day. Please, tell your family you want to donate, and join the NHS Organ Donor Register."

You can find out more about organ donation here.