PLAYERS from Morecambe and Accrington Stanley gave their backing to the national organ donation campaign at the Globe Arena.
Both teams warmed up in special promotional tee shirts to support the national campaign to raise awareness of organ donation that ran from September 4-10.
The number of people currently known to be alive thanks to organ transplants has broken 50,000 for the first time.
This increase is revealed in this year’s UK Transplant Activity Report 2016/17, published today by NHS Blood and Transplant.
There are now 50,300 people alive today thanks to organ transplants – more than enough to fill Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge and almost enough to fill Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
This includes:
Kidney transplants – 36,300 people
Pancreas transplants – 1,900 people
Cardiothoracic (heart or lung or combined heart/lung) transplants – 3,900 people
Liver transplants – 9,800 people
Intestinal transplants - 100 people
The milestone figure has been reached thanks to record levels of public support for organ donation and improvements in survival rates.
The number of people receiving a transplant in a single year has reached the record figure of 4,753, an increase of 20% in the last five years. The increase means that nearly 800 more people a year have their lives or improved by transplants than they did five years ago.
The number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register also reached a record number, 23.6 million, up by 4.9 million over five years. Now 36% of the UK’s population is on the NHS Organ Donor Register, compared to 30% five years ago. (3)
Survival rates continue to improve. An adult receiving the most common type of kidney transplant during the early 1990s had a 66% chance it would still be functioning after five years. Today’s report shows adults who receiving the same type of transplant five years ago have an 87% chance their kidney is still functioning today. (4)
Despite the record breaking public commitment to donation, the overall shortage of donated organs remains. The report reveals 457 people died last year while on the active transplant waiting list. A further 875 people were removed from the list, mainly because they were too ill to undergo transplant surgery. Many of these patients will have died shortly after removal from the list. There are still around 6,400 people currently waiting for a transplant.
Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “More people than ever are agreeing to organ donation and that is saving more lives than ever. This is an immense achievement. It’s amazing to picture all the people now alive today thanks to organ donation and think of all the families and children who have grown up thanks to donors.
“We’re seeing more and more people committing to donation and the good results of our close work with hospitals. Our specialist nurses in organ donation are now almost always involved in discussions with families over organ donation.
“However there is still a long way to go. Around three people still die a day in need of a transplant. Every one of those people who die could be a mother or a father, a daughter or a son, who might be alive today.
“Families tell us donation is a source of pride that helps them in their grieving process. We don’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to save lives. Please join the NHS Organ Donor Register. It only takes two minutes.”
John Forsythe, Associate Director for Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “I have the privileged job of seeing sick patients returned to full health after a transplant. Sometimes I don’t even recognise people I have known for years because of how their appearance has been totally transformed. More and more people are now going on to lead full lives thanks to the precious gift of organ donation.”
Health minister Jackie Doyle-Price said: “Organ donation transforms and saves lives – these numbers show excellent progress and are a testament to the brilliant work of NHS Blood and Transplant and all those involved. Now we need more organ donors to come forward so everyone requiring a transplant stands the best chance of receiving one.”
Please join the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk