MPs help celebrate the 100,000 lives saved through organ donation in the UK over the last 30 years

Group photo of organ transplant patients The lifesaving benefits of organ donation and transplantation have been presented in Parliament to more than 60 MPs.

NHS Blood and Transplant hosted a joint event with Kidney Care UK in Westminster on Wednesday 4 December with patients, MPs, ministers, and policy makers coming together to hear how more than 100,000 transplants have taken place in the last 30 years since the creation of the NHS Organ Donor Register, and to commit to helping reduce the number of people waiting for an organ transplant.

The waiting list for a transplant is the highest it has been in a decade, with almost 7,900 people in the UK actively waiting for that lifesaving opportunity.

Transplantation wouldn’t be possible without donation, so it’s vital that people make it clear if they want to be an organ donor by signing the NHS Organ Donor Register as families are far more likely to support donation when they know it was what their relative wanted.

"Without my organs I would not be able to live and love this life"

Speaking candidly to MPs about the benefits of organ donation was Jessica Harris from London, who received a double kidney and pancreas transplant in 2018 after suffering kidney failure due to diabetes. Miraculously, 5 years after her transplant she went on to have a miracle baby, Ezra, who is now 8 months old.

Jessica Harris with baby Ezra Jessica said;

“My organs and I have just celebrated our 6th birthday. They are the reason I am here. They are the reason I am living my best life. They are the reason I get to be a mummy, which I never thought was possible. Without my organs I would not be able to live and love this life I’ve worked so hard to create.

“But it’s more about my donor and his selfless decision to save a stranger. I only have my life because of him, and I think of them every day. As I’ll never get to thank my donor, I feel the only way I can really give back is by living. I live my best life, not just for me but for him.

“No-one wants to think about death or talk about it round a dinner table, but until you’re personally affected by it you don’t fully understand or appreciate how vital these conversations are. After all, I am only here today because my donor had these very brave discussions.”

To register your organ donation decision, visit our website, call 0300 123 23 23 or use the NHS app in England.

Statements

Statement from Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive at NHS Blood and Transplant

“We are delighted to once again co-host such an important event and I’d like to thank the MPs who joined us to discuss the vital message of organ donation – your support is incredibly important. The fact that more patients than ever before are waiting for a transplant means we need to educate as many people as possible on the lifesaving benefits of donation.

“Since its creation in 1994, the NHS Organ Donor Register has made an incredible impact to society, saving more than 100,000 lives. Each registration gives hope to those in need of a transplant and their families.

“We know that 90% of families agree to donation going ahead if they know their loved one had recorded a decision to donate. So, as we celebrate 30 years of the NHS Organ Donor Register, I would urge everyone to register their decision to donate, and more importantly, for families to support that decision so that we can continue to honour this legacy and save even more lives.”

Statement from Christine Cox, the co-founder of the NHS Organ Donor Register

“I’m often asked how vital the Organ Donor Register is. It is vital in allowing medical professionals to initiate the conversation with the next of kin if they know the donors wishes. The Organ Donor Register offers hope to all those on the transplant waiting lists.

“Despite Max and Keira’s law that went on the statute in England in 2020, we still need to encourage people to join the register and consider becoming a donor.”

Statement from Fiona Loud, Policy Director at the charity Kidney Care UK

“Transplantation is a fantastic, innovative treatment highlighting the best in human spirit and our NHS. Despite great improvements it’s disappointing that 30 years since the introduction of the organ donor register, the transplant list is at a 10-year high.

“We can do something about this though as we can all play a part in reducing the numbers of people waiting. With so much energy and commitment to improve the NHS, transplantation is a key area that needs focus.

"Changing the law across the UK to an opt-out system was the right thing to do but not the only thing to do to when it comes to the transformation, we need to see to reduce the number of people waiting for a transplant in the UK.”

Statement from Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health

“NHSBT facilitated some 4,600 transplants last year alone, that is remarkable. And every one of those transplants represents not just a person, it represents their friends, their families, their communities. So never forget the extent to which this work affects people.

“Despite all of this, there is a critical need for more organ donors. There are more than 7,900 people in the UK on the waiting list, including over 200 children and that is the highest demand and length of waiting list we have seen in the UK in almost a decade. That is a challenge for all of us. So, we need to work together to encourage more people to record their decision on the register.”