Organ Donation Week 2024 runs between Monday 23rd – Sunday 29th September, marking the 30th anniversary of the NHS Organ Donation Register. In partnership with NHS Blood & Transplant, Legal & General is raising awareness and encouraging individuals to have open discussions about Organ Donation.
In the past year (2023/2024), 4,651 patients received vital organs from donors, marking a 3% increase from the previous year. However, as of September 2024, there are over 7,600 people on the organ donation list in the UK.
Organ donations
Despite a 6% rise in deceased donors and a 3% increase in transplant recipients in 2023/24, hundreds of families continue to overturn their loved ones’ organ donation choices each year. This underscores the importance of discussing organ donation with your family and clearly affirming your own decision.
With the soft opt-out system for organ donation, it’s assumed that individuals consent to donate unless they’ve actively opted out. However, individuals are not automatically added to the Organ Donor Register – you must confirm your decision.
Additionally, your family will be consulted before any donation occurs. As such, having open conversations about your wishes ensures that your loved ones are aware of and can honour your wishes. But, how can loved ones instigate these conversations? Legal & General has worked with NHS Blood & Transplant to share some tips.
Having the discussion
• Educate yourself – Becoming an organ donor can be an incredibly rewarding way to impact someone’s life, but it’s natural to have doubts or concerns, whether for yourself or a loved one. Learning more about Organ Donation can help make your decision easier and inform you before having a discussion with your family. So, it’s important to do your research.
• Address concerns – It’s normal for family members to have questions or concerns about organ donation. Be patient and open to their viewpoints, addressing any worries they may have. Acknowledging these concerns and providing reassurance can help everyone feel more comfortable with the decision.
• Tailor the conversation for children: When discussing difficult topics like organ donation with children, consider their age, keeping explanations simple and using familiar examples to help them understand. Choose a time when they are relaxed and open to conversation and be honest in answering their questions. Encourage them to ask more questions and guide them to reliable sources if they seek more information.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant said:
“Thanks to the support of Legal & General during Organ Donation Week, we can get the message across to more people that organ donation saves lives.
“Every day across the UK thousands of patients and their families are waiting for a life-saving call. But this can often only happen as a result of another family receiving very difficult news and supporting organ donation to help others.
“With more people, both adults and children, waiting for transplants, it’s more important than ever to confirm your organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. We urge everyone to take a moment this Organ Donation Week to register and confirm your decision.”
Get Involved
Legal & General encourages everyone to take two minutes to register their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. With the potential to save up to nine lives, organ donation is a gift that can change lives forever.
