The number of people awaiting organ transplants has reached a five-year high, according to new figures released by NHS Blood and Transplant services.
The rise comes after organ donation and transplants were ‘significantly impacted’ by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, with a large number of procedures put on hold due to the increased risks of patients awaiting organs being on immunosuppressants.
As donors are unable to donate if they test positive for the virus, the number of potential donors has also reduced over the course of the past few months.
The new statistics, released to mark Organ Donation Week (7-13 September), show that 6,700 people across the UK are currently in need of a transplant, up from approximately 6,138 before the pandemic broke out.
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They also revealed that thousands of planned donations were stopped after families refused to go ahead with the procedure, despite a change in the opt in/out process.
John Forsythe, Medical Director for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “In 2018/19, we saw more people across the UK go on to donate their organs than ever before.
“In 2019/20, we were on track to surpass the figures of the previous year, but sadly the impact of Covid-19 reduced the number of donations and transplants able to go ahead.”
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The NHS has now issued an urgent plea for more people to share their organ donation decision – something many may not have realised they can or needed to do.
When Max and Keira’s Law came into effect earlier this year on 20 May, all English adults became automatically enrolled as organ donors.
But while you’d assume this change would result in a huge spike in transplants, unfortunately it’s not quite that straightforward – and this time we can’t place all the blame on the pandemic.
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In the wake of the law change, teams at NHS Blood and Transplant said they still continue to consult families before a donation would go ahead, and that the ultimate call must come down to relatives.
This means that even if someone is listed as an organ donor by default, a donation may not go ahead if their loved ones aren’t on board – with an estimated 2,500 transplant opportunities missed last year due to families refusing.
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NHS Blood and Transplant said one of the most common reasons why families decline is simply not knowing what their relative would have wanted, with a recent survey showing that nine out of 10 families would agree to donation if the person’s decision to be a donor is known
This figure drops to less than half (47 percent) of families agreeing if they are unaware of their relative’s decision.
Along with patients awaiting an organ transplant, teams are calling on people to speak to friends and family about their wishes, so that they know what the decision is should the time come.
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In a recent NHS Blood and Transplant survey, 83 percent of people said they believe it’s important to speak about organ donation, but only 39 percent said they have actually gone on to share their decision with their partner or family.
Forsythe continued: “We know that when families know their relative’s organ donation decision, they are more likely to give their support. Knowing what their relative wanted can give families a lot of comfort and make what is a difficult time that little bit easier.
“While most people agree that it is important to talk to their family about organ donation, it is less likely that they will have actually had this important conversation.
“Sadly, many organ donation opportunities are lost every year because families don’t know if their loved one wanted to be a donor or not. Please don’t wait. Speak to your family about organ donation today.”
To find out more about organ donation, the new law or to register your organ donation decision, visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk
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