This Organ Donation Week (21-27 September), Hywel Dda University Health Board are supporting NHS Blood and Transplant in urging people to take two minutes to register their organ donation decision and share it with their family and friends.
Across the UK, thousands of people are waiting for a life-saving transplant, including patients in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. A single organ donor can save or improve the lives of up to nine people.
Lauren Blunsden, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation, said: “In Hywel Dda, we currently have more than 50 patients waiting for a life-saving transplant.
“Registering your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register takes just two minutes and could save up to nine lives. Just as importantly, make sure you tell your loved ones about your decision so they know what you want.”
Around 87,423 people in Carmarthenshire, 37, 606 people in Ceredigion and 38,943 people in Pembrokeshire have already recorded their decision to be a donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Although organ donation laws have changed across Wales, families are always involved before donation can go ahead. This means it remains vital to register your decision and discuss it with those closest to you.
Nine out of ten families support organ donation when they know their loved one’s decision and have previously discussed it.
Chantal Patel, Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Organ Donation Committee, said: “By registering your decision and talking to your family and friends, you can help ensure your wishes are understood and respected. Organ donation is a remarkable gift that can save lives and bring hope to others at a difficult time.”
Helen, a donor recipient from Carmarthenshire, said: “I’ve been a renal patient for over 30 years and my life has completely changed for the better by having a kidney transplant. I can honestly say I don’t think I’d be here without my transplant”
“For anyone thinking about signing up, organ donation is the greatest gift a person can give another.”
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:
“We are facing one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in over a decade. There has been a sharp decline in donors and a rising number of people waiting for a transplant. We need urgent action.
“We have already adapted significantly to changes in the donation environment. But, saving lives, and reducing the waiting list, needs collective effort across the NHS and society.
“There is a simple action people can take to help save lives. Please sign the NHS Organ Donor Register. Most of us would accept an organ if we needed one, but opportunities to save lives are being lost because families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted. Leave them certain.
“It takes two minutes to confirm an organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Each donor can potentially save up to nine lives. Visit organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23.”
