Organ Donation

A medical milestone is celebrated on 30th October 2010 - the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first successful organ transplant. The pioneering living kidney donor operation was carried out between identical twin brothers at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

In the late 1960s, kidney transplant patients only had a 50/50 chance of living for more than a year after their operation. Today over 93% of kidneys transplanted are functioning well on their first anniversay.

During the last five decades, the number of kidney transplants recorded on the UK Transplant Registry is approaching 59,000. Of these, 9,755 were from living donors.

"Fifty years ago, this lifesaving and life improving operation, was seen as a miracle. Now, during last year alone, more than 2,500 people received a donated kidney. The number of operations is increasing, but today, more than 7,000 patients are still on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.” says Sally Johnson, NHSBT Director Organ Donation and Transplantation.

“NHS Blood and Transplant is working hard to encourage people to join the Organ Donor Register to ensure that more organs are available for transplant. Three people die in the UK every day, whilst waiting for a suitable organ. If you believe in organ donation prove it by joining the Organ Donor Register and please remember to discuss your wishes with your family.”

While 90% of people in the UK say they support organ donation, to date 28% have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register. Please show your support for organ donation by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register and let those closest to you know your wishes about organ donation.

If you believe in organ donation, prove it
Register now at organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23

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For additional information please contact the NHSBT press office on 0117 969 2444 email pressoffice@nhsbt.nhs.uk. For out of hours enquiries please call: 07659 133583.

Notes to editors

• NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority in the NHS. It is the organ donation organisation for the UK, with responsibility for matching and allocating donated organs. Its remit also includes the provision of a safe, sufficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS.
• The NHS Organ Donor Register records the details of people who have registered their wishes to donate organs and/or tissue after their death for transplantation. This information is used by authorised medical staff to establish whether a person wanted to donate.
• It’s simple to join the ODR by:
• going to www.organdonation.nhs.uk
• ringing 0300 123 23 23
• texting SAVE to 84118
• Anyone can register on the ODR. Age isn’t a barrier to being an organ or tissue donor and neither are most medical conditions. People in their 70s and 80s have become donors and saved many lives.
• One donor can save or transform up to 9 lives and many more can be helped through the donation of tissues.
• There are currently around 10,000 people in the UK in need of an organ transplant. This figure changes constantly though as people join and leave the transplant list.
• Last year (2008/09), 3513 organ transplants were carried out in the UK, thanks to the generosity of 1853 deceased and living donors – the highest on record.