New figures out this week show that just 45 per cent of families agree to organ donation going ahead if they are unaware of their loved one’s decision to be a donor but this figure rises to 95 per cent when they know the decision.
As part of National Transplant Week, Crawley MP, Henry Smith, has highlighting the importance of telling family and friends your donation decision saying:
“Letting your loved ones know you want to be an organ donor is so important.
“It’s devastating for families when someone they love passes away and so it’s not fair to expect them to have to make the decision for you. If you talk openly to your family about your decision to donate your organs it could save them a great deal of stress when you die.
“The fact is that organ donation can help save lives.”
On average 3 people a day die in need of an organ transplant in the UK because there aren’t enough organs available. Despite the thousands of life-saving transplant operations which take place every year, around 10,000 people are currently in need of a lifesaving organ transplant.
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Notes
For further information about National Transplant Week and to register your organ donation decision go to www.tranplantweek.co.uk. ; Follow NHS Blood and Transplant on twitter @NHSOrganDonor and support us on Facebook www.facebook.com/organdonationuk and remember to #spellitout.
Please go to http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/partnering-with-nhsbt/council-statistics/ to see these statistics.