One in five people on the national transplant waiting list live in London
2 min read
Organ Donation campaign tells Londoners that ‘Words Save Lives’.
One in five people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant live in the capital city. That’s why NHS Blood and Transplant is letting Londoners know that ‘Words Save Lives’ – with an appeal for people in London and surrounding areas to talk openly about organ donation.
The latest figures show there are 1,300 people in London on the transplant waiting list out of the 6,500 people on the national transplant waiting list.
NHS Blood and Transplant are emphasising the particular need for more black and Asian people to talk about donation as organs from people from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a close match and give the best chance of a positive outcome.
Whilst It’s encouraging to know that the number of people from these communities who have donated in London has more than doubled in the last decade. Currently of the 1,300 people in London waiting for a transplant, 811 of those are from the black or Asian communities.
Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Thousands of people in London have had a second chance at life thanks to the organ transplants they received. This was only possible thanks to those who put other people first and agreed to organ donation at the most distressing time in their life.
“Sadly almost 800 people in London have died waiting for a transplant in the last 10 years and hundreds more are still waiting every day for a lifesaving organ. People from our black and Asian communities face particularly distressing waits for a transplant: they know that lower donation rates in their own communities mean they often wait longer for a matching organ.
“We really need everyone to discuss organ donation: make sure your family knows that you want to donate if you are ever able to. This will make things much easier for them and reduces the risk of them saying no to life saving donation simply because they don't know what you wanted."
“Talk to your family today, let them know you want to be an organ donor and prove that words really do save lives. A few words now can make an extraordinary difference.”
NHS Blood and Transplant surveys have shown that more than 80% of people support organ donation but only around 49% of people have ever talked about it.
To find out more about the ‘Words save lives’ campaign visit: http://bit.ly/2BCEqfX
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