News Release

29 March 2010

Requested allocation of a deceased donor organ

NHS Blood and Transplant welcomes the introduction of guidance designed to allow for flexibility in the allocation of donated organs in exceptional circumstances.

The guidelines, which have been agreed by all UK Health Administrations, allow for a donated organ to be allocated preferentially to someone waiting for an organ transplant who is in a close relationship to the deceased.

Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, the special health authority responsible for the allocation of organs across the UK, said: “This guidance supports the well-established donation process in which respecting the wishes of donors, in consultation with their relatives, is an important part.

“Thousands of people benefit every year from an organ donated unconditionally by a complete stranger which is allocated based on clinical need, ensuring the best possible outcome for the transplant.

“This guidance will enable us to consider, as we always do, what the donor wanted but also to take into account the health and wellbeing of a sick patient who is known to them.

“We do not expect these occasions to arise very often and most organ transplants carried out in the UK will continue to be based on unconditional donation.

"With around 10,000 people in need of an organ transplant and an average of three people dying every day because of the shortage, there remains an urgent need for people to consider donation in general, join the NHS Organ Donor Register and to discuss their donation wishes with their relatives so that these can be confirmed when the time comes."

Super-urgent liver and heart patients will continue to take priority in the organ allocation process due to the urgency of their need and the likelihood of their death without a transplant.

The process for joining the NHS Organ Donor Register will be unchanged as a result of the guidance – any consideration of requested or preferential donation will only be given at the time of the donor’s death. (29 March 2010)

More on requested allocation of a deceased donor organ

Ends

For further information, please contact the NHSBT press office on 0117 969 2444, at pressoffice@nhsbt.nhs.uk or out of hours on 07659 133583.

Notes for Editors

  • NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority in the NHS. It is the organ donor organisation for the UK and is responsible for matching and allocating donated organs. Its remit also includes the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS.
  • For the latest donor and transplant statistics, and to find out more about joining the NHS Organ Donor Register, go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk
  • Joining the NHS Organ Donor Register makes a central record of your wishes. It is only consulted after someone dies to establish whether they had expressed a wish to donate.
  • You can select individual organs – kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas, eyes, small bowel, tissue – or you can select Any of my organs and tissue
  • You cannot name an individual or individuals to whom you would like your organs donated when joining the Register but a requested allocation could be possible at the time of your death if there is someone close to you who is waiting for an organ transplant
  • Most organs are donated unconditionally and allocated to sick patients based on their clinical need
  • Only a small number of cases every year of requested allocation are expected to arise in the UK