Over 50s providing bigger share of donated organs than ever

New figures show that the over 50s make up more of the UK's lifesaving organ donors than ever before.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is highlighting the figures to appeal for even more people aged over 50 to join the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR), as they are underrepresented on the ODR.

Last year, 2024 to 2025, there were 932 donors aged over 50. They made up 63% of all people who went on to donate their organs after death, the highest ever proportion. The rise is thanks to medical improvements and greater awareness.

However, only 20% of the people who support donation on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) are aged over 50.

If more over 50s confirmed they want to donate, even more lives could be saved.

NHSBT’s research into public attitudes shows many people aged over 50 think that they are too old to successfully donate. Many also think they don’t need to opt in to donation anymore.

People can potentially donate their hearts and lungs up to 65, and their livers and kidneys up to 80. On rare occasions, donation from even older people have occurred.

People can donate some lifesaving and life changing tissue - such as bone and corneas – at any age.

The proportion of older donors is believed to be increasing for several reasons. These include:

• An ageing population.
• New organ donation techniques. This includes the increased use of perfusion, where fluid is circulated through the organs to keep them healthy enough to transplant.
• Long term public awareness of donation. The national organ donor register has been operating since 1994, more than 30 years. More and more people who joined the ODR as a young person are going to become donors when they're middle aged or older.
• More research showing that organs from older donors can be successfully used, enabling transplant surgeons to use them with confidence.

There is no age limit to joining the NHS Organ Donor Register. The final decision about whether some or all organs or tissue are suitable for transplant is always made by medical specialists at the time of donation, taking into account national policies, and your medical, travel, and social history.

Donations are urgently needed because the transplant waiting list recently reached its highest ever level, with more than 8,000 people on list.

Nick's story

Nick Beresford from London became an organ donor aged 57, saving or improving 3 lives.

Nick had a brain haemorrhage while working as the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Georgia, in July 2023. He was in a medically induced coma for three weeks and was flown back to the UK for medical treatment but never regained consciousness. He became a donor in August 2023.

Nick, a married dad of 2, had joined the NHS Organ Donor Register through his driving license and also confirmed his support for donation on the register directly. His kidneys and liver were donated and transplanted into 3 recipients: a man in his fifties, a woman in her sixties, and another woman in her fifties.

Nick's official tribute from the UNDP remembered him as an 'extraordinary person who managed to combine consummate professionalism with a witty and self-deprecating sense of humour'.

His wife Angela, aged 51, a pilates instructor, said:

"Nick spent his whole life helping people living in extreme poverty, people with disabilities, and the marginalised. He was a truly good and generous man. He was a fantastic dad and the love of my life.

"Doctors in Georgia performed two craniotomy surgeries to reduce pressure on the brain. Further tests in London gave a bleak prognosis. The extent of the brain damage was too severe and inoperable.

"It was reassuring to know that he'd actually registered as a donor. The organ donation nurses were wonderful, compassionate and professional.

"Being a donor gives others that chance, that's probably the most beautiful thing a person can do.

"I would definitely encourage other people over 50 to join the NHS Organ Donor Register - you could still save lives if something happens." 

Margaret's story

Margaret Humphries from Richmond in London became a lifesaving organ donor aged 65 in March 2024 after a brain haemorrhage. Both of her kidneys were transplanted. 

Margaret, the former manager of a Gregg's bakery, who at times worked three jobs to support her children, and who loved knitting in the evenings, collapsed at home while emptying the washing machine.

Husband John, a retired manager, said:

"I asked her what had happened but she only made a growling sound and as soon as I heard that I called 999. The ambulance crew restarted her heart but she had suffered a catastrophic bleed on her brain.

"My darling wife was a very giving person. Margaret's 2 children from her first marriage and I all agreed that donation was the right decision. Margaret was an absolute angel. It was very fitting that her last action would be to save somebody else.

"If there's someone else out there who needs a kidney who's also in their 60s, what does it matter if the donor is in their 60s? She was going to be cremated and it seemed such a waste. I'm on the register now. I think organ donation at any age is marvellous."

Statement

How you can help

Confirm your decision to donate via the NHS Organ Donor Register.