Public urged to take two minutes to save up to nine lives during Organ Donation Week

The public are being urged to take just two minutes to register their organ donation decision as part of this year's Organ Donation Week.

The awareness campaign, organised by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), runs from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September and highlights the urgent need for more people to confirm their wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

New figures released by NHSBT show that deceased organ donation rates have fallen by 9% compared to the same point last year, while the transplant waiting list has reached a record high. More than 8,500 people across the UK are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant, including 221 people in Hampshire.

Rachel Clare, specialist nurse in organ donation, based at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We need more people to confirm their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register to help save and improve more lives. Having a recorded decision gives families certainty at an incredibly difficult time.

"Family support is vital to ensure organ donation can go ahead. Often families are dealing with the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one, and knowing their wishes can provide clear guidance and reassurance when decisions need to be made.

"Too many opportunities to help patients are lost because people have not recorded their organ donation decision. In these situations, families may choose not to proceed with donation simply because they do not know what their loved one wanted."

Registering a decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register takes just two minutes and has the potential to save or transform the lives of up to nine people through organ donation.

Having a medical condition does not necessarily prevent someone from donating and there is no age limit for some types of donation, such as corneas.

Anyone wishing to register, confirm or update their decision can visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision. Users of the NHS App can also record, check or amend their organ donation preferences.