First national digital organ donation drive of its kind released to NHS App users in England

NHS App makes it simple for millions in England to check, record or update their organ donation decision

For the first time, a major national campaign is driving millions of NHS App users to formally express their decision on organ donation, part of the Health Secretary's ambition to make the NHS App the 'front door to essential health services' across the country.

People across England will now find it easier than ever to record, reconfirm or update their organ donation decision directly through the NHS App - now used by more than 40 million people to manage their health and care.

A prominent banner has begun to appear on the App's homepage, reaching all users over a 3 month campaign period - the longest and most far-reaching digital organ donation drive of its kind.

A screenshot of the NHS App, showing the organ donation decision tile presented in the NHS App The campaign runs alongside the NHS App's existing health quiz, giving users a powerful combination of tools to engage with their health care and manage their own health decisions at a time when the Health Secretary has given a renewed push to make the App a genuine gateway to national services.

The option to register your organ donation decision has been available via the NHS App since 2019. In summer, the location of the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) service within the NHS App (England) moved from "Your Health Choices" to "Account Profile" - resulting in an estimated 10,000 additional registrations per year.

Recently, NHS Blood and Transplant has been working with NHS App Team to make the ODR service more user friendly and bring it in-line with NHS Standards to:

redesign the organ donation journey to make checking and updating simpler and clearer, based on user research
remove confusing options and present three clear choices on one screen
enable users to see the date they originally recorded their decision, adding transparency and reassurance

Despite almost 4,000 people receiving lifesaving transplants last year, there are still more than 8,200 patients currently on the active transplant waiting list - the highest number on record. Clinicians also warn that thousands of opportunities for providing someone with a lifesaving organ transplant are still being missed, due to families not supporting the decisions made by their loved ones.

NHS Blood and Transplant data shows that people are far more likely to support organ donation going ahead when they already know it was what their relative wanted. Nine out of 10 families honour their family members decision to be an organ donor when they had confirmed that decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Statements

Statement from Alex Hudson

Alex Hudson, Head of the NHS Organ Donor Register at NHS Blood and Transplant said:

"Understandably people can often find it hard to remember if they have previously registered or not. That's why we have partnered with NHS England to allow people to easily check their decision via the NHS App. It takes just a few seconds to check your decision and will confirm if you have previously registered or not.

"For those that haven't, it is easy to record your decision and for those that have there are options to update or re-confirm your decision should you wish to. I would encourage everyone to check their organ donation decision today via the NHS App. Just tap the banner on the homepage or go to your account setting, it only takes a minute, and it could save lives."

Statement from Anthony Clarkson

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

"This is innovation with real impact. By making organ donation decisions easy to record, check and understand, we are helping people make informed choices and giving families the confidence to support donation.

"The NHS App gives millions of people the opportunity to take a simple step that could save lives, and I would encourage everyone to take a moment to check their decision or indeed register for the first time."

Statement from Jules Hunt

Jules Hunt, NHS England Interim Director General Technology, Digital and Data, said:

"We are delighted that we are able to update the NHS App to make it even easier for people to record their organ donation decision – a simple action that can help save lives.

"The NHS continues to make it as convenient as possible for 41 million people now registered to manage their healthcare in the NHS App - I'd encourage anyone who needs it to download it."

The NHS App

More than 40 million people now use the NHS App for managing their choices and access to healthcare. The latest update to the section on organ donation brings the design in line with modern NHS App standards, ensuring a smoother experience for users in the hope to get more people talking and ultimately registering their decision to save lives through organ donation.