England
In 2020, the law around organ donation in England changed to allow more people to save more lives. Below is a video explaining the law change:
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Watch this animation in British sign language or another language
For more information on the law change in England please visit the NHS Blood and Transplant website here.
Scotland
The law around organ donation in Scotland changed to an opt-out system in 2021.
Under the new system, all adults aged 16 and over who have not confirmed whether they want to be a donor, will be considered to be willing to donate their organs and tissue when they die, unless they choose to opt-out.
You can still choose whether or not you want to be an organ and tissue donor by registering your decision and telling your family. Your faith, beliefs and culture will always be respected.
Donating your kidney
Kidneys are the most commonly donated organs by living people, and about a third of all kidney transplants carried out in the UK are from living donors.
In the UK living kidney transplants have been performed since 1960 and currently around 1,100 such operations are performed each year, with a very high success rate. A kidney transplant can transform the life of someone with kidney disease.
Practical and cultural considerations – things to think about
What you need to know before and after a kidney transplant A kidney transplant is a treatment option for many patients who have long-term kidney failure. This is also known as chronic or end-stage kidney failure.
During a kidney transplant, a kidney is removed from one person (the donor) and given to another person (the recipient). Kidneys can be donated from living donors or from those who have died (deceased donors). For more details click here.
Organ donation in 30 seconds:
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How are families involved in the organ donation process:
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Primrose’s story:
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The UK Living Kidney Sharing SchemeIf you are not a suitable ‘match’ for someone you wish to donate to, it may be possible for you to join a sharing scheme and be matched with another donor recipient pair in the same situation and for the donor kidneys to be ‘exchanged’ or ‘swapped’.
Human Tissue Authority – The Regulator for human tissue and organs
Guidance for living organ donors on their processes. The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) guidance has been written for people who are going to become living organ donors.
It explains what kind of organisation they are, their role in the regulation of all living organ donations, and what you need to know before you donate an organ. This guidance also explains the Independent Assessment process that a person would undergo.
Statistics about organ donationThe current UK statistics for organ donations and transplants can be found here
Writing to your living donorNHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have provided advisory materials to help you write your letter, card or email to your living donor.
Watch NHSBT’s video to hear from people who have written and received letters themselves.
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What is the process?
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Write your letter, card or email. Avoid sharing any information that would make you personally identifiable
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Your correspondence will be read by the living donor coordinator, to check it doesn’t reveal identifiable information
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A photocopy is kept on file for future reference
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The living donor coordinator will match your correspondence with your donor
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Your living donor will be told that your correspondence is available to them
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If your donor wishes to receive your correspondence, it will be forwarded in a separate envelope to be opened at their discretion
For more information please view the NHSBT’s Writing to your Living Donor leaflet here
Writing to a donor family or recipient
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have provided advisory materials to help you write your letter, card or email to a donor family or recipient. Watch NHSBT’s videos to hear from people who have written and received letters themselves, or who are still deciding what to do.
In this video, transplant recipient Jess and donor family mum Liz explore the power of words. Jess’s life was saved by a family like Liz’s agreeing to organ donation.
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What is the process?
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Write your letter, card or email. Avoid sharing any information that would make you personally identifiable
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Your correspondence will be read by your transplant coordinator or a member of the Donor Family Care Service team, to check it doesn’t reveal identifiable information
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A photocopy is kept on file for future reference
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The Donor Family Care Service match your correspondence with your donor
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Transplant recipients or a member of the donor’s family are told that correspondence is available to them, depending on who has made contact first
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If the person wishes to receive your correspondence, it is forwarded in a separate envelope to be opened at their discretion
For more information please view the NHSBT’s leaflet here
NHS Blood and Transplant
For more information on what NHS Blood and Transplant do and for further resources, please visit here.
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- The Renal Warrior Project. Join Now
- Source: https://www.kidney.org.uk/organ-donation-and-transplantation