Local people urged to confirm their wishes as the Organ Donor Register celebrates its 30th birthday this year
Organ donors, recipients and healthcare staff are among those marking a very special anniversary today as national Organ Donation Week gets underway.
Since the national Organ Donor Register (ODR) was established in 1994, thousands of lives have been saved or transformed as a result of the kindness of others.
In the past 12 months alone, 76 transplants have taken place across the country thanks to organ donors from across Hull, East Yorkshire, North and North East Lincolnshire, and six of those recipients were children. That’s 76 lives which have been saved or changed for the better, and 76 families who have been gifted more time with their loves ones and the chance to make more memories thanks to people from our region.
As the country prepares to celebrate this significant milestone, specialist nurses are still urging people to be aware of the recent change in law around organ donation, and of the importance of discussing your thoughts with loved ones, should the worst happen.
Joanna Pancarowicz, specialist nurse for organ donation working across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital says:
“The law around organ donation changed in England in 2020 to an ‘opt out’ system. Essentially, anyone who hasn’t registered a decision relating to organ donation is now considered as having no objection to becoming a donor, should the situation arise.
“Families are always consulted and have the final say. However, what we find, working with families, is that knowing their loved one’s decision can make an extremely difficult and heartbreaking situation slightly easier.”
Seventy-eight people across the Humber region are currently waiting for a transplant, and while 158,000 people in our area have already confirmed their wishes via the organ donor register, there are still hundreds of thousands of local people yet to record their views.
Helen Russell, specialist nurse for organ donation across Hull Hospitals says:
“Whether you opt in or opt out from becoming an organ or tissue donor, the most important thing is for your family and loved ones to be clear on your wishes.
“Death and dying are not something people talk about but in circumstances like this, it’s so important.”
Lisa Cochrane, specialist nurse for organ donation working across Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, adds:
“Organ donation is a gift like no other and while some people can wait years for a suitable donor, it is the generosity and kindness of ordinary people and their families which make it possible for us to bring light and bring hope into patients’ lives.
“Receiving a transplant can be truly life-changing, but unfortunately there are still too many people dying while they wait due to the lack of registered donors.
“This Organ Donation Week, please be sure to register your decision on the national Organ Donation website, but also to talk to family and friends about it. Should the worst happen, this could help to take a difficult decision out of their hands and potentially make a traumatic time just that little bit easier for your loved ones.”
In celebration of 30 years of organ donation, buildings across the country will be lit up to raise awareness of this important topic for the next seven days; locally, The Deep, Hull City Hall and the Maritime Museum in Hull’s Queen Victoria Square will be lighting up pink for the week.
Anyone who would like more information or who wishes to talk through any questions they have around organ donation is welcome to visit the specialist nurses in organ donation on Wednesday 25 September, when they will be hosting a stand within the main entrance to Hull Royal Infirmary throughout the day.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant says:
“It’s brilliant of NHS Humber Health Partnership to show its support for Organ Donation Week in the year of the NHS Organ Donor Register’s 30th birthday.
“We need more people to add their name and decision to the NHS Organ Donor Register. This could be the difference between life and death for someone else.”
Confirm your decision at www.organdonation.nhs.uk or if you have the NHS app on your smartphone or tablet, you can also use this to record, check or amend your details and decision.
Organ Donation Week takes place from 23 – 29 September 2024.