Organ Donation
NHS Blood and Transplant works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to save lives.
Each year around 3,500 people's lives are saved or dramatically improved by an organ transplant. Every minute of every day someone, somewhere, benefits from blood donation.
It is thanks to the generosity of blood and organ donors that so many lives are saved, but the need for blood and organs never stops.
We need to recruit 250,000 new blood donors every year to make sure there is enough blood available when it is needed. We need everyone who believes in organ donation to join the Organ Donor Register and pledge to save a life after their death. One organ donor can save or transform up to nine lives, and many more can be helped through the donation of tissues such as bone, skin, eyes, tendons and heart valves.
Transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern medicine. Lives are saved or transformed by an organ transplant thanks to the generosity of people who agreed to donate their organs. However, 1,000 people die each year while waiting, because there are not enough organs available.
Joining the Organ Donor Register is the only secure way to record your wishes to save someone's life after your death. By encouraging more people to register - and telling those close to them about their decision- more lives can be saved.
The need for blood never stops. Blood is needed for many things including car crash victims, those receiving treatment for cancer, or sometimes childbirth. Those with rare blood disorders, such as thalassaemia major or sickle cell anaemia, require regular blood transfusions and rely on donated blood to survive.
Blood is something we all expect to be available when we need it, yet only 4% of those who can give blood actually do.
For more information or to become a blood or organ donor, please visit www.nhsbt.nhs.uk
What is the Organ Donor Register?
