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Health Secretary Mike Nesbitt has welcomed the growing support for organ donation in Northern Ireland as the annual UK Organ Donation Week begins (23-29 September).
The report, which marks the 30th year of the NHS Organ Donor Registry, shows that more than one million adults, representing 55% of Northern Ireland's population, have registered their decision to be considered as potential organ donors after death. This is the highest proportion in the UK. countries.
On 1 June last year, the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2022 (Northern Ireland) came into force, meaning that adults in NI are considered potential organ donors unless they choose to opt-in or opt-out. It happened. group.
To mark Organ Donation Week, Minister Nesbitt visited Belfast City Hospital's Kidney Transplant Service, a regional center for patients with all forms of kidney disease. The team provides inpatient, outpatient, and day care services to patients at each stage of the kidney disease pathway. This ranges from diagnosis to dialysis to kidney transplantation. Belfast is the fourth largest living donor kidney transplant center in the UK, despite only serving 3% of the UK population. So far in 2024, 59 kidney transplants have been performed here.
The Minister said: “Organ donation is a life-saving gift and with the number of people waiting for a transplant outstripping the number of organs available, we are doing everything we can to encourage and promote organ donation. ” This means improving the infrastructure that supports both living and deceased donations, as well as continuing to educate and foster informed conversations.
“This is a remarkable success for our health and social care system, which has taken Northern Ireland from one of the lowest levels of awareness and support for organ donation to one of the highest in Europe. This is our Trust Organ Donation Committee, here in Belfast. I was delighted to have the opportunity to hear about the work of our world-class kidney transplant team, specialist nurses and clinical leaders, who have worked together with the Department of Public Health over many years. I would like to congratulate all of them on their skill and dedication.”
Dr Stephen O'Neill, Consultant Transplant Surgeon and Clinical Director of Nephrology and Transplantation at Belfast City Hospital, said: “We have a very busy transplant program in Northern Ireland, with around 110 transplants taking place a year, with half of the kidneys for transplantation coming from living donors and half from deceased donors. None of the work we do would be possible without our amazing team and, of course, the generosity of our donors.”
Dr Aisling Courtney, Consultant Transplant Nephrologist and Transplant Clinical Lead at Belfast City Hospital, added: “Northern Ireland has the lowest kidney transplant waiting list in the whole of the UK, which is great, but we still need organ donors. So I ask people, can you change someone's life? Or can you make a difference? Could you become a donor? Think about it and talk to your relatives.”
When a deemed consent system is introduced in 2023, most adults will be deemed to have consented to organ donation unless they explicitly opt out. The UK-wide Organ Donor Registry (ODR), run by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), allows individuals to register their wishes to become an organ donor at the time of their death, or to register their wish not to become an organ donor. You can. Organ donation is being considered. 2024 will mark ODR's 30th anniversary.
Latest statistics show that 1,082,893 people in NI have opted in to ODR, representing 55% of NI's population, while 23,657 people have recorded a decision to opt out of organ donation. represents just over 1% of NI's population.
The Health Minister said: “The introduction of deemed consent is not only aimed at saving lives, but also ensuring that individuals' wishes are respected. Importantly, post-mortem donation is only possible if it is clinically possible. In rare cases, family members are always involved in the donation discussion. As we celebrate 30 years of ODR's impressive achievements during Organ Donation Week 2024, this remains the best way to document your decision and we would like to thank everyone for their time.”
Note to editors:
- Organ Donation Week, overseen by NHS Blood and Transplants (NHSBT), the UK's organ donation and transplant body, is a week held across the UK in September each year to promote organ donation and spark conversations across generations. The purpose is to promote this and get everyone talking about it. Promote organ donation and facilitate new registrations on the Organ Donor Register (ODR). The exhibition period is from Monday, September 23rd to Sunday, September 29th.
- Overall consent/approval rate for deceased donors in 23/24:
a. England – 60%
b.Wales – 56%
c.Scotland – 61%
d.NI – 66% - Number of living donors per million population in 23/24:
a. England – 10.3
b.Wales – 14.7
c.Scotland – 15.6
d.NI – 25.7
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