Campaign to get people talking about organ donation

Starting this month (from 11th March) a campaign to raise awareness of organ donation will feature prominently on petrol pumps in Norfolk supermarket forecourts.

A total of 11 supermarket forecourts across the county will be helping to raise awareness of the importance of signing up to be an organ donor. The aim of the campaign is to encourage those who are thinking about becoming an organ donor to talk to their friends and those closest to them about their wishes.

Signing up to be an organ donor couldn’t be easier, all you need to do is go to the NHS Organ Donor Register by visiting www.organdonation.nhs.uk, call the NHS Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23, text SAVE to 84118 or through Facebook, the organ donation page or the health and wellness tab on your timeline.

Even if you carry a donor card, signing up to this register makes it easier for the NHS Blood and Transplant team to ensure your wishes are carried out. You are more likely to need a transplant than become a donor and you’ll be joining the 19 million people in the UK who are proud to be registered organ donors.

Marie Garside, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “One thing we constantly try to emphasise is the importance of talking to your family about your wishes. When families know their loved one was on the NHS Organ Donor Register, 95% of families consent to donation. When families don’t know what their loved one would have wanted, a massive 45% of them say no to donation.

“It is hoped the messaging on the petrol pumps will prompt people to get back in their cars and start talking to their friends and family about organ donation. Every donor has the potential of saving or transforming the lives of nine people, so just one 'yes' can make such a difference.”

So tell your family you want to be an organ donor – don’t leave them to guess, as more lives could be saved or changed every year by simply having this conversation with your families.