Posted on Tuesday 28th June 2011
National Transplant Week will encourage people to joint the NHS Organ Donor Register
North Cumbria University Hospitals will be hosting information stands across the Trust as part of National Transplant Week, which runs from 4-10 July.
There will be leaflets and information in the main entrances of the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital to promote organ donation awareness and encourage discussion between partners, families and friends.
Trisha Rose, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation, said: “There is a chronic shortage of donated organs, with approximately 7,900 people on the waiting list.
“Of these, more than 1,000 people die every year before they receive the transplant they need. With more awareness and prior discussion this situation could be improved, as 40 per cent of relatives refuse permission for loved ones' organs to be donated mainly because they don’t know what their wishes were.
“The good news is that a record number of people are now signing up with nearly 18 million people currently on the NHS Organ Donor Register.”
There have been a record number of donors nationally following the implementation of the Department of Health’s recommendations in all trusts but still more needs to be done to meet the growing needs of the transplant waiting list.
National Transplant Week is run by The Transplant Trust, the leading UK Transplant Charity, and aims to raise awareness and educate the public about the benefits of organ and tissue donation.
Events will take place all over the country to highlight the importance of this special week. The Northern donation team, which includes Cumbria, is holding an abseil event at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle on Sunday 10 July to promote organ donation and transplantation.
To find out more about joining the national Organ Donor Register, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 2323.