Every year 1,000 people die waiting for a transplant. However, only 4% of people regularly give blood and only 26% of us are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
In the UK, consent is required before organs can be donated. A person can give their consent for example by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register or by discussing their wishes with loved ones. Alternatively, a person’s organs can be donated if consent is obtained after their death from an authorised person, such as a relative or friend.
We can do something to make a difference. It only takes a few minutes to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and it doesn't take long to give blood: a small price to pay for the gift of life.
Give blood
Giving blood is easy. You can do it up to three times a year, it takes no longer than an hour per session and it can be arranged entirely at your convenience. Your blood will be used to help a variety of patients, such as a mother in the delivery room, a child with leukaemia, a burns victim or people with conditions that require regular blood transfusions. For more detail on what the process involves and who it can help, read Giving blood.
The NHS Organ Donor Register
Many of us have heard of donor cards. The NHS Organ Donor Register is the same in principle but is a failsafe way of ensuring your wishes are made clear. A donor card can be lost or forgotten about, but joining the register will mean there's a permanent record of your wishes that doctors can check in the event of your death. You can remove yourself from the register at any time and you can specify exactly what you're willing to donate. Find out more about the NHS Organ Donor Register.
The reality of donation
People have many questions about donation. Perhaps you want to be a donor but you're worried about what this involves. Or maybe you're interested in giving blood or being a living donor. Read the features on this site for answers to your questions, and visit the National Blood Service and NHS Blood and Transplant websites for more about the enormous impact that donation can have on someone’s life (see External links).
