More than 480 people in the South East lost their lives waiting for a transplant in the past decade.
- Someone will die today waiting for an organ transplant
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UK transplant waiting list has reached record levels with 8,000 people still waiting for a lifesaving transplant
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On average, more than three people a day died or became too ill for a transplant in the UK over the past decade.
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NHS Blood and Transplant urges everyone to confirm their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register to help save lives
More than 12,000 people in the UK have died or been removed from the transplant waiting list over the past ten years before receiving the lifesaving organs they desperately needed – including 483 in the South East.
Figures released by NHS Blood and Transplant to mark Organ Donation Week show that 4,900 people died while actively waiting for a lifesaving transplant, and a further 7,700 were removed from the active list after being deemed too sick to receive one, with many dying soon after - highlighting the urgent need to increase organ donation registrations.
Earlier this year, NHSBT revealed the transplant waiting list had reached its highest level ever recorded with 8,000 people actively waiting for a lifesaving transplant – including 818 in the South East. Meanwhile, there were 100 fewer deceased organ donors in the UK last year, resulting in a 2 per cent drop in life-saving transplants.
“Someone will die today waiting for an organ transplant,” said Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant. “You are more likely to need a transplant than you ever are to be a donor - and most of us would accept an organ if we needed one – but far fewer of us have made the decision to donate. By confirming your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, you could save or transform up to nine lives.”
Despite the challenges, there has been promising progress: more than 44,000 lives have been saved or improved through deceased and living donor organ transplants in the past decade. But with thousands still waiting, NHSBT is urging people to take just two minutes today to confirm their decision to be an organ donor.
