Help spread the message this Organ Donation Week

More than 8,000 people are waiting for a life-changing transplant and, sadly, donor and transplant numbers have fallen. This Organ Donation Week we want to make sure as many people as possible know how important their decision could be for people on the waiting list.

This year's Organ Donation Week starts on Monday 22 September and continues until Sunday 28 September. It’s an opportunity to highlight how important organ donation is, and to make sure that if you would like to give the gift of organ donation, you know what you need to do.

In 2020, the law around organ donation in England was changed to an ‘opt-out’ system. This means that all adults in England are now considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups. Find out more about the ‘opt-out’ system.

While the ‘opt-out’ system increases the number of potential donors, it's still important to make your wishes clear if you’d like to make sure your organs could save lives after you die. 

Your family would always be involved before donation takes place, so it is important that you choose whether you want to be a donor and discuss what you want to happen with your family, so your decision is clear and they can have peace of mind knowing that your decision is being honoured.  

The best way to ensure that your wishes to be an organ donor are carried out is to make sure you are on the organ donor register AND have a conversation with your family to ensure they know what your wishes are.

UCLH ICU consultant, anaesthetist and clinical lead for organ donation Dr Jim Down explains:

“There’s over 90 per cent support for organ donation yet only around 40 per cent of people are on the register.

“The worry about the opt out system is that people might assume that their organs will be donated automatically. As a result, they see no need to sign up to the register or discuss their wishes in advance with their loved ones. Then in the event, at a time of huge stress and trauma, family members are left feeling unsure and hesitant about whether to consent to donation.

“For that reason, we strongly encourage everyone to have the conversation and sign up to the register.”

Find all the information you need about organ donation