Almost 1,400 people in Greater London are waiting for an organ transplant – but Londoners are the least likely to be registered to donate their organs

Almost 1,400 (1,373) people in Greater London are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant – but the number of people in the area who have registered an organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) is the lowest in the country.

Just 32% of Londoners have formally expressed their decision to be a donor by registering on the ODR - proportionally, the lowest rate in the country and below the England average of 40%.

Despite the change in the law meaning it is assumed people will be donors unless they have opted out, families are still involved in the conversations about donation, making the final decision on whether it can go ahead.

Statistics show that families are significantly more likely to support their loved one's decision to be a donor when they have expressed their decision, so it's vitally important for people who want to donate their organs to express that decision on the ODR. In London, only half (52%) of the families consulted on donation when their loved one dies support it going ahead, the second lowest consent rate in England.

In the last year (2024/2025), 68 people in Greater London have died while waiting for an organ transplant and 808 people in the area have died waiting in the last decade (2015-2025).

Jaswinder's story

Mum of 4, Jaswinder Dev, 59, is one of the almost 1,400 people in London waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

She was listed for a lung transplant in May 2022, due to the rare lung disease Plueroparenchymal Fibroelastosis (PPFE) and is yet to receive the organ that she needs. She said:

"I've been coughing for 29 years now – it started off light but in 2022, I was listed for a transplant because of how severe my condition had become. I'm now on oxygen and that has a major impact on my life. Even simple things like cooking are difficult – I need to turn off the oxygen and air out the house for half an hour before I can light the cooker. I can’t travel far from home because I can carry limited oxygen, I get out of breath trying to vacuum the living room.

"I've been waiting for a transplant for 4 years now. It’s been so long that my left lung is now so badly diseased, that a transplant wouldn't be possible, so I'm now listed for a single lung transplant rather than a double. My greatest fear is being taken off the transplant list because the disease has progressed too far and it’ll be too late.

"I'm told that my size is what is making finding a match difficult and that we may need to look at paediatric donors. That's a very sad thing. It's extremely difficult to think about.

"I'd discussed organ donation in the past, with my family. They were open to it and I agreed with them – I thought 'if there's something in my body that somebody can make use of, knock yourself out'. Now I'm on the other side, waiting for a transplant and I can only hope that other people are having the same conversations and thinking about what their wishes might be were they to pass away.

"I’d implore everybody to think about what it is that they might want and to sign the Organ Donor Register – don't let your wishes be unheard. By signing the register, you could be helping people like me.

"I'm a very spiritual person and that helps – if the transplant doesn’t happen, that's ok. But I have a family who needs me – and a grandson I hope to see grow up - so I hope I do get the call. Who doesn't want to live?"

Edmund's story

Edmund Clottey, 52, from Lambeth, London, has been waiting for a kidney transplant since September 2021. He now has dialysis 3 times a week. He said:

"I was told I could expect to wait 18 to 24 months for an organ to become available for me and I’m now approaching five years. It's hard, especially now I'm on dialysis. I go for dialysis 3 times a week and it takes a day to recover from each session, so that leaves just one day a week where I feel somewhat myself. I just get on with it but it does bother me. I want to go out, do things, see friends, but I'm exhausted.

"I don't know when I'll get my transplant. I hope it's soon. For now, I’m doing all I can to raise awareness and to encourage people to register their decision on the Organ Donor Register. Please, you never know when it could be you or somebody you love who is in the position I am now."

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, says:

"It's devastating to hear that Jaswinder and many like her, have been waiting for an organ for so long. Jaswinder is one of many people throughout London and the country waiting for an organ transplant and the reality is that, sadly, we just don't have enough donors to get everybody the transplant that they need.

"We can change that if more people consider their wishes around organ donation and then register their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. By doing so, you’ll leave your family in no doubt about what it is you want and you could save up to 9 lives."

How you can help

You can visit our website to find out more and register an organ and tissue donation decision, call 0300 123 23 or use the NHS app.