Next week is Organ Donation Week (3 to 9 September), and health chiefs are urging people to talk to their families about organ donation and in doing so help increase the number of people whose lives can be saved or transformed by an organ transplant.
Nationally, 3 people die every day in need of an organ, and there are around 20 people in Wolverhampton currently on the transplant waiting list.
Bereaved families will always be approached about donation if a loved one who has sadly passed away can donate their organs. Knowing what their loved one wanted helps families support their decision at a difficult time.
Thousands of people in Wolverhampton are already on the NHS Organ Donor Register but there is still an urgent shortage of donors.
Councillor Hazel Malcolm, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "We need more people in Wolverhampton to talk about organ donation to increase the number of life-saving transplants.
"Only a third of adults in England have told their partner or their family they want to donate, despite 8 of 10 people saying they would be willing to donate or would consider it.
"Sadly, many opportunities are lost every year because families don't know if their loved one wanted to be a donor or not. We can change things, but we need people to get people talking."
Anthony Clarkson, Interim Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "We are very grateful to the City of Wolverhampton Council for its support during Organ Donation Week.
"Words save lives. Please, tell your family you want to save lives through organ donation, because it could be the difference between life and death for someone else."
Millions of people are already on the NHS Organ Donor Register; join them today by registering at Type=links;Linkid=10894;Title=Organ Donation;Target=_blank;.
- released: Wednesday 29 August, 2018