Media Release
Embargoed to 00.01 Monday 7th September 2015
Almost 1.4 million adults from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
haven’t decided whether to donate their organs after death
Nation urged to break silence on organ donation and Say Yes I Donate this National
Transplant Week (7th – 13th September 2015)
Over a third of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in
the UK admit they haven’t considered organ donation or decided if they want to be
an organ donor, NHS Blood and Transplant reveals.
And over a quarter of a million people who do want to donate their organs when they
die say they haven’t talked to a loved one about that decision.*
More people from BAME communities also know someone who has received or is in
need of a transplant than their white counterparts. This is not surprising as latest
statistics show that 28% of people on the waiting list for an organ transplant are from
a BAME or mixed race background.
Across the whole of the UK there are 10,000 people in need of a transplant. Last
year the number of people donating organs fell for the first time in 11 years. The UK
also has one of the lowest rates in Europe for families consenting to organ donation
and in 2014/15 only 58% agreed to donate their family members’ organs after they
died and only 80 of the 1,282 deceased organ donors last year were from BAME
communities.
This National Transplant Week NHS Blood and Transplant wants to get the whole
nation talking about organ donation and the importance of sharing decisions on
being an organ donor with family and close friends. The Seven Days to Say Yes I
Donate campaign aims to help break down barriers and taboos around organ
donation.
Anthony Clarkson, NHS Blood and Transplant’s Assistant Director for Organ
Donation and Nursing said: “Patients from Black, Asian and some ethnic
minority communities are more likely to need an organ transplant than the rest of the
population as they are more susceptible to illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes
and certain forms of hepatitis, all of which may result in organ failure and the need
for a lifesaving transplant.
“To save more lives we need more donors from all communities. To raise that
number we really need everyone to understand the importance of not being
complacent. We need to get to the point where organ donation is high on the list of
important personal conversations we routinely have with loved ones.”
The National Transplant Week survey found that, as a nation, we are happy to talk
about many personal topics, yet we are avoiding conversations that could mean the
difference between life and death for someone in need of an organ transplant:
·
7 in 10 adults have told a loved one how they would spend a lottery win
·
Almost two thirds have discussed their preference for burial or cremation
·
Nearly half have confided the part of their body they would most like to
change
·
47% have shared destinations they dream of travelling to before they die
Even among those who want to be organ donors, there is reluctance to talk about
the subject - with key reasons being discomfort around talking about death and not
wanting to upset family members.
Reluctance to talk about organ donation means many healthy organs that could be
donated aren’t used.
Kirit Modi, Co-Chair of the National BAME Transplant Alliance and a kidney
transplant recipient, said: “As a nation we’re happy sharing dreams of big money
wins and bucket-list holidays, and we’ll confide in our loved ones our worries about
how we look. Yet too many of us are still not making the time or are not comfortable
talking about organ donation.
“Telling your loved ones you want to be an organ donor means your family will be in
no doubt about your decision meaning your wishes will be fulfilled should you die in
circumstances where organ donation is possible.
“Over the next seven days we’d like everyone from all communities, particularly
those from BAME communities, to give a few minutes of their time to think about
organ donation and talk about whether they want to be an organ donor with their
relatives or a close friend.”
Of those who have had a conversation about organ donation with a loved one an
overwhelming 93% said it was an easy conversation to have - although nearly a
quarter (23%) admitted that chat was over five years ago.
NHS Blood and Transplant is working with partners to help raise awareness and get
involved in the Seven Days to Say Yes I Donate campaign:
·
Go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk to find out more information
·
Show your support for organ donation on social media during National
Transplant Week by posting about your conversations using #sayidonate
·
Twitter @nhsorgandonor #sayidonate
·
Facebook: www.facebook.com/organdonationUK
·
Instagram @nhsorgandonor
·
Youtube: /www.youtube.com/user/nhsorgandonation
*Populus interviewed a random sample of 2,072 UK adults aged 18+ by online
survey between 5-6th August 2015. Surveys were conducted across the country
and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. Populus is a founder
member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Further information at
www.populus.co.uk.
o When asked ‘Do you want to donate your organs after death’ 35% of
BAME respondents answered yes, 24% no, 14% never thought about it
and 27% don’t know.
o BAME respondents who said they want to be organ donors, both those
who have joined the Organ Donor Register and those who have not
were asked if they have told a loved one about their decision. Of those
on the Organ Donor Register, 14% said they had not told a loved one,
and of those not on the Organ Donor Register, 38% said they had not
told a loved one.
-ENDS-
For more information or to request a case study please contact:
Organs@enginegroup.com / 020 3128 6339
Notes for Editors:
·
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a joint England and Wales Special Health
Authority. Its remit includes the provision of a reliable, efficient supply of blood
and associated services to the NHS in England and North Wales. It is also the
organ donor organisation for the whole of the UK and is responsible for matching
and allocating donated organs.
·
21.1 million people in the UK have already signed onto the NHS Organ Donor
Register. These people have joined the Register to record their decision to
donate organs and/or tissue after their death for transplantation. This information
is used by authorised medical staff to establish whether a person wanted to
donate. A newly build ODR has just been launched in the UK. This also gives
registrants the option to register a decision not to donate their organs or to
nominate others to make the decision for them after their death.
·
It’s simple to join the ODR by:
o going to www.organdonation.nhs.uk
o ringing 0300 123 23 23
·
Anyone can register on the ODR. Age isn’t a barrier to being an organ or tissue
donor and neither are most medical conditions. People in their 70s and 80s have
become donors and saved many lives.
·
One donor can save or transform up to 9 lives and many more can be helped
through the donation of tissues.