Data reveals 386 people have died waiting for transplant in last decade
ALMOST 400 people in Greater Manchester have died waiting for a transplant in the last ten years, new figures reveal.
NHS Blood and Transplant released the data to mark Organ Donation Week, which started on Monday, to encourage families to talk about the decision to donate.
They revealed that 386 people across the ten boroughs have passed away while on the waiting list for an organ transplant since 2007.
Health chiefs are now urging people to tell their relatives they want to become donors, as hundreds of life saving transplants are being missed every year because loved ones weren’t made aware of their wishes.
Bosses say the reluctance to talk about the issue is contributing to a deadly shortage of organs.
In Greater Manchester there are currently 306 people waiting for a transplant.
Anthony Clarkson, assistant director of organ donation and transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It’s a tragedy that people are dying unnecessarily every year in Manchester waiting for transplants.
“We know that if everyone who supported donation talked about it and agreed to donate, most of those lives would be saved.
“This Organ Donation Week, tell your family you want to save lives. A few words now can make an extraordinary difference. It will also make things much easier for your family to make the right decision.”
In Greater Manchester there are more than 863,000 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
But more are desperately needed.
Mr Clarkson added: “If you are unsure about donation, please ask your- selves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant? Would you accept a lifesaving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?”
In Manchester there is a particular need for more black and Asian people to donate.
There are 101 black or Asian people from Manchester currently waiting for a transplant. Organs from people from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a close match and give the best chance of a positive outcome.
To support Organ Donation Week visit: http://www.nhsbt.nhs. uk/get-involved/promoting-donation-hub/download-digital-materials/ organ-donation-week/