What is the Organ Donor Register?

The NHS Organ Donor Register is a confidential, computerised database which holds the details of more than 12 million people across the UK. The register is used after a person has died to help establish whether they wanted to donate and, if so, which organs. The register can only be checked by NHS staff. Even if you have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register it is still vital you make sure that everyone around you, including your family, knows your wishes as your next of kin can still refuse consent.

Do I need to register if I have a card?

Yes. Cards can and do get lost or damaged and you may not be carrying one when you are taken to hospital. Adding your name to the register is a more permanent way of expressing your wishes. You can still carry a card if you wish to. Don't forget to tell your relatives what your wishes are.

Can I become an organ donor?

Anyone can sign the organ donor register and consent to their organs being used in the event of their death. However only a very small number of people die in circumstances where they are able to donate their organs. You are actually more likely to need a transplant yourself than to become a donor. Organs have to be transplanted very soon after someone has died so in most cases only people who die whilst on a ventilator in a hospital intensive care unit can donate their organs. This is generally as a result of a major accident like a car crash, a brain haemorrhage or stroke. However while only a very few people die in circumstances which would enable their organs to be donated, virtually everyone can donate their corneas to help others to see or give bone, skin or other tissue after their death. Unlike organs, tissue can be donated up to 24 hours after a person has died and can be stored for longer periods.

Why should I discuss my wishes with my relatives?

Whilst joining the NHS Organ Donor Register or carrying a donor card is a good start, the most important thing you can do is to let your family know your wishes. In the event of your death, they will have to agree to the donation. If they aren't aware of your wishes, they may not be carried out. Research shows whilst 90 per cent of people would be prepared to donate their organs in the event of their own death, 40 per cent of relatives don't agree to donation when asked. One of the main reasons for refusal given by the families is that they didn't know whether the person would have agreed to donation. Sadly the topic of organ donation is often first raised at a moment of intense tragedy, and discussing your wishes with your family could help alleviate an added difficulty should the time come.

Will they work as hard to save me if they know I want to be a donor?

Yes. The doctors looking after a patient have to make every possible effort to save the patient's life. Their duty is to the patient and their wellbeing, not to anyone else. They do not even know if a patient has signed up to be a donor whilst they are caring for them. If, despite their efforts, the patient dies, only then can organ/tissue donation be considered and a completely different team of doctors would be called in.

Does donation leave the body disfigured?

No. Organs and tissues are always removed with the greatest of care and respect for the person by trained surgeons and teams, who always ensure that the donor is treated with the utmost respect and dignity. This takes place in a normal operating theatre under the usual conditions. Afterwards the wound is carefully stitched and covered by a clean dressing. Only those organs and tissue specified by the donor or their family will be removed. Relatives may see the body after the operation if they wish.

Why is there an increasing shortage of donor organs?

The number of organs available for transplant has been falling over recent years. At the same time the number of people needing a transplant is expected to rise steeply over the next decade.
Very few people die in the circumstances required for being able to donate their organs and the numbers are falling because of welcome improvements in road safety and advances in medical treatment. Another major reason for the shortage of organs is that too few people think about donation or discuss it with their family. A recent survey showed that more than 50 per cent hadn't discussed donating their organs or made sure that their families knew their wishes.

How successful are organ transplant operations?

Receiving a transplant can literally save or dramatically improve a seriously ill person’s quality of life. Advances in surgical skills and better drugs mean that a year after surgery 93% of kidneys in living donor transplants, 88% of kidneys from people who have died, 87% of organs in liver transplants and 85% of organs in heart transplants are still functioning well. These figures are improving all the time.