National Transplant Week
National Transplant Week starts on Monday 7th July and runs through to Sunday 13th July. To mark this, the Scottish Government is ramping up its drive to raise the profile of organ donation and increase the numbers joining the NHS Organ Donation Register (ODR).
The emotive 'Kill Jill/Spare Clare' series of TV adverts will run throughout Transplant Week and a squad of organ donation experts will be located in a number of supermarkets and shopping centres throughout the country encouraging people to sign up to save a life.
Research continues to show that the Scottish public supports organ donation but despite enormous theoretical support the percentage of the population registered is relatively low at around 27 per cent.
Passive endorsement like this, where people support the concept of organ donation but fail to sign up, remains one of the main challenges we face. With around 50 people dying each year in Scotland alone, and over 700 still waiting on a transplant, there is a desperate need for donors.
Since 1 April 2008, in the UK (correct as at 16 June 08):
- Over 177 people have donated organs
- Over 356 people have donated corneas
- 521 people have been given the gift of sight
- 535 people have received transplants
- 7674 people are still waiting for a transplant
- As of 16 June 2008, 15,422,157 people in the UK - 25% of the population - have said they want to help others to live after their death by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.
During National Transplant, while organ donation is in the public eye, people should take the initiative of joining the Organ Donation Register.
Although people are becoming more aware of organ donation and its importance, not enough of us are actually doing something about it, i.e. registering.
One of the biggest obstacles to more lives being saved is that four in ten families (40%) refuse their loved ones' organs to be donated - often because they didn't know what their wishes were. We need to encourage more people to talk about their organ donor wishes with their families and friends and also join the organ donor register.
Passive endorsement is not enough - it's time for action!
To join the Organ Donation Register.
Call 0845 60 60 400 or log on to
www.infoscotland.com/organdonor
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