Organ Donation

Eligibility of non-UK residents to receive donated organs

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has a statutory responsibility to ensure the integrity of organ donation in the United Kingdom – specifically, that organs donated for transplant are matched and allocated in a fair way, based on the clinical need of the patient and in accordance with the law.

Organs donated from deceased donors in the UK are given freely and without condition. It is illegal to sell organs for transplantation in the UK. (9 December 2009)

Safety of organs for transplant

Transplants are vital operations and their success depend entirely on the generosity of donors and their families who make this lifesaving gift.

Donated organs are a precious resource and save thousands of lives through organ transplants every year. In the UK, donated organs are given freely and without condition, and are allocated to waiting patients strictly according to need and best match. Organ transplantation has an excellent safety record and can transform a patient's life.

Detailed screening is carried out on every donor. This takes account of their cause of death, documented medical history and lifestyle and information gained through talking to relatives. A transplant may be the only possible treatment for some people, who would die without one. In a situation where there are not nearly enough organs available for the number of transplants required, it often comes down to a balance of risk and benefit.

Surgeons are always making judgements about the suitability of donated organs and are faced with the dilemma that - for example - more patients would die if they didn't receive a transplant at all. Guidance is available that sets out the risks and benefits of when an organ should be used. Ultimately this is a decision for the clinician, the patient and their family. (25 November 2009)

UK Transplant statement on directed donation of organs after death

UK Transplant offers its condolences to the family of Laura Ashworth – and hope that they are able to find comfort in the knowledge that honouring her wish to be an organ donor has helped three people.

Organ transplantation is a subject that generates strong debate and opinions. Inevitably the intense media coverage about this case has focused on how donated organs for transplantation are allocated. (15 April 2008)

Opt in or opt out?

The current “opt-in” system of organ donation – where individuals are asked to register their willingness to be a donor after their death – has been the subject of debate for many years.(March 2008)

Healthcare Commission review of heart transplants at Papworth Hospital

UK Transplant welcomes today’s report by the Healthcare Commission which allows heart transplantation at Papworth Hospital to resume.

Throughout the two-week review, UK Transplant worked closely with the Healthcare Commission team to provide detailed statistical background information about the UK’s heart transplant programme.

UK Transplant already collects and shares much of the data suggested by the report’s recommendations, and will now look at ways to refine this process.

Every year in the UK, around 3,000 organ transplants are carried out for patients with end-stage organ failure for whom there is no other treatment. Overall success rates of these operations are high and steadily continue to improve. (19 November 2007)

Statement on Dutch reality TV show

Donated organs are a precious resource and save thousands of lives through organ transplants every year. In the UK, donated organs are given freely and without condition, and are allocated to waiting patients strictly according to need and best match. There is no provision for deceased directed donation of the type envisaged in the Netherlands' Big Donor Show. (29 May 2007)

Taking on personality traits of donors

While we are aware of the suggestion that transplant recipients take on aspects of the personality of the organ donor, we are not aware of any evidence to support it and, while not discounting it entirely, we have no reason to believe that it happens. (14 June 2006)

We would be very interested to see any definitive evidence that supports it.

NHS Organ Donor Register

The NHS Organ Donor Register is a confidential, computerised database holding the wishes of 14 million people who want to donate their organs after their death to help others to live.

We can categorically state that no-one who is applying to add, amend or withdraw a registration has direct access to that database. (2 February 2006)

Equality of access to donor organs

Donated organs are a precious resource. Their sharing is conducted under rules drawn up by the appropriate UK Transplant advisory committee, ensuring that each organ is given to the most suitable recipient and that each patient, as far as possible, is provided with equal access to available organs. (8 August 2002)

Alder Hey outcome

The gift of organs for transplant in the UK was not adversely affected as a result of the Alder Hey organ retention inquiry. (5 March 2002)