Isle Of Wight Families Encouraged To Talk About Organ Donation

Tuesday, 21 July 2020 11:21

Families living on the Isle of Wight are being encouraged to talk about lifesaving organ donation.

New figures published today by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) show that last year (2019/20) 1,580 people in the UK donated their organs after they died.

On the Isle of Wight, seven people gave the gift of life, by donating their organs after death.

The national deceased organ donor figures were on course to surpass the previous year’s total, but the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the service.

The recovery of donation and transplantation is now well under way and the majority of transplant units have now reopened.

There are more than 6,000 people in need of a transplant in the UK, with 17 of these patients living in Isle of Wight.

England moved to an opt out system, bringing in Max and Keira’s law, on May 20, 2020 and it is hoped public support for organ donation will continue to improve.

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:

“Amazing organ donors and their families make life-saving transplants possible, by giving their support and saying ‘yes’ to organ donation.

“It’s wonderful to see that we were, once again, on track to surpass the number of organ donors in 2019/20 than the previous year before COVID-19 hit. This is testament to the selfless families, including seven families in Isle of Wight, who agreed to donate their loved one’s organs in the most tragic of circumstances.

“It is disappointing but inevitable that donation and transplantation has been impacted by the worldwide pandemic. What is incredible though is that throughout this crisis, we have continued to see such strong support for organ donation and the most urgent transplants have still gone ahead and saved the lives of desperately ill adults and children.

“We are, along with our fantastic NHS colleagues, focused on the continued recovery of this immensely important work, which brings comfort to grieving families and gives people another chance at life.

“As we learn to live with COVID-19 and boosted by the new law and growing public support, we hope more lives than ever before can be saved. I urge everyone in Isle Of Wight to make their organ donation decision and tell their family about it.”

It’s still your choice whether or not you want to donate your organs. Please find out more, and register your decision, by visiting NHS Organ Donor Register and make sure you tell your family: www.organdonation.nhs.uk

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Isle Of Wight Families Encouraged To Talk About Organ Donation

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