Get the facts about organ donation

Most people do not die in circumstances that make it possible for them to donate their organs.

In fact, only around 1 in 100 people who die in the UK are able to be donors. Donors are typically those who have died in a hospital intensive care unit.

This is why it's so important that more people register to donate their organs and talk to their family about what they have decided. Having a recorded decision helps your loved ones to know that you want to become an organ donor, which gives them the confidence to support your decision when asked. The more families that support organ donation, the more lives that can be saved. 

Your family will always be consulted about whether you wanted to be an organ donor or not, and clinicians will never proceed with organ donation if your family or loved ones object.

More families agree to support organ donation when they are able to see that their loved one had registered a decision to become a donor. 

Registering your decision gives your family the confidence to know what you would have wanted, and helps them to make a decision at a difficult time.

Watch our video to see how your family is involved

If you want to be an organ donor after you die, it's really important that you talk to your loved ones about this and make sure they understand and support your organ donation decision. 

Get tips on how to talk to your loved ones about organ donation

Get more information about how consent is established

When you register a decision to become an organ donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register you can choose to donate all or some of the following:

• corneas
• heart
• kidneys
• liver
• lungs
• pancreas
• small bowel
• tissue

You cannot choose to donate your:

• hands
• face
• limbs
• womb

These kinds of transplants are very rare and are not a part of routine donation. Donation for these transplants is not covered by the opt out system. 

Donation for non-routine transplants like these is only possible as part of special programmes, when a donor dies in very rare circumstances and with an additional agreement from the donor's family.

Find out more about what you can donate

If you have recorded a decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and want to update your details, change or reaffirm your decision, it is easy to do. 

It takes just 2 minutes to register your decision online or can call us on 0300 123 23 23.

Please make sure you share your updated decision with your family.

Some people record the fact that they want to become an organ donor in their will.

Unfortunately, by the time your will is read it's likely that it will be too late for organ donation.

If you want to become an organ donor, the best thing is to register a decision to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

If you die in a way that means organ donation is a possibility, a specialist nurse will access the NHS Organ Donor Register to see if you had registered a decision, and this will be discussed with your loved ones.

Healthcare professionals have a duty of care to you. This means that if you need emergency medical care, every effort is made to save your life. 

Specialist nurses for organ donation are not involved in emergency medical care. Your treatment and wellbeing is always the priority, and decisions about medical care are made independently of organ donation.

Organ and tissue donation is only considered when end-of-life care is thought likely by the clinical team.

The organ donation process involves a specialist team who ensure that donors are treated with the greatest care and respect, and every effort is made to maintain a donor's natural appearance.

The retrieval of organs takes place in an operating theatre under sterile conditions, and is carried out by specialist surgeons.

A specialist nurse will accompany all organ donors to theatre and ensure the donor’s interests are being looked after throughout the process. 

Only those organs and tissue specified by the donor and agreed with the family will be retrieved.

All countries in the UK now have what is called an 'opt out system' for organ donation.

In an opt out system, everyone is considered willing to become an organ donor unless they have registered a decision not to donate (opted out). 

The opt out system applies to most people over 18. 

You can still decide whether or not you want to become an organ donor. 

It takes just 2 minutes to register your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Get information about organ donation law in England

Get information about organ donation law elsewhere in the UK

All the major religions and belief systems in the UK are open to the principles of organ donation and transplantation and accept that organ donation is an individual choice.

We understand that you may have questions about whether your faith or beliefs affect your ability to become an organ donor.

We've worked with faith leaders and communities to build trust, raise awareness, explore questions around organ and tissue donation, and discuss how organ donation can proceed in line with faith or beliefs.

Get guidance and advice

Specialist nurses will always speak to your family about how organ donation can go ahead in line with your faith or belief system.

Our specialist nurses will respect the decision recorded on the NHS Organ Donor Register and will discuss what this means with your family as part of end-of-life care conversations.

If you register a decision to become an organ donor, our specialist nurses will speak to your family about how organ donation can go ahead in line with your faith or belief system.

During the conversation, they will answer any questions your loved ones may have and seek further guidance or support from additional family members or representatives from your faith or belief if required.

Our specialist nurses will always speak to your family about any funeral plans to make sure that any considerations around your faith, beliefs or culture are respected. 

When donated organs are retrieved, the process is carried out by highly skilled professionals who take the same care and attention as they would in any other operation. They offer the same respect to the donor as they would to a living patient. 

Surgical dressings are carefully applied after donation and any end of life care wishes in relation to the washing and dressing of the body are respected.

Organ and tissue donation does not prevent you from having an open casket funeral.

The body is clothed for burial, and the operation site is covered with a white surgical dressing.

The donation operation is performed as soon as possible after death.

After donation, a donor's body is always returned to the family.

Families are given the opportunity to spend time with their loved one after the operation if they wish. 

The cornea is the clear outer layer of tissue at the front of the eye which lets in light so that you can see.

Many people feel uncomfortable thinking about cornea donation, but the reality is that it can mean the gift of sight to someone desperately in need of a transplant. 

You may hear people talk about eye donation, and while the whole eye is donated, it is the cornea that is transplanted.

People with poor eyesight can still donate their corneas. Many conditions that affect a person's eyesight do not affect the corneas directly, meaning it can still be possible to donate.

People with most types of cancer can still donate their corneas. The corneas do not contain blood vessels, eliminating the risk of transmitting most types of cancer.

After donation, our specialist team will ensure every donor looks as they normally would. Donation will not prevent a donor from having an open casket funeral.