King’s top Trust for organ donation

18 July 2022 - Latest figures show that King's is the leading Trust in the UK for organ donations

New figures out last week reveal there were 53 patients who donated their organs after death at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust last year – making King’s the leading trust in the UK for organ donations. The King’s donor patients and their families have helped to save or improve the lives of over 4,000 people in need of a transplant in the UK.

NHS Blood and Transplant and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have released the figures to mark the publication of the annual Organ Donation and Transplantation Activity Report and encourage more people to register their organ donation decision and help save lives.

The annual report shows deceased organ donation in the UK increased by 18% last year thanks to the continuing recovery of organ donation and transplant activity following the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. 1,397 people in total donated their organs after death last year, including 53 patients at King’s.

Despite this, the number of people being listed for a transplant has increased, due to most being suspended during the pandemic and, subsequently, others needing a transplant being added to the list. Across the UK, there are currently 6,393 people on the active waiting list and a further 3,990 temporarily suspended.

Kayleigh Peel, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation (SNOD) at King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust, said: “We would like to thank all our patients who have given the incredible gift of life and prevented another family from facing the loss of a loved one.”

Kayleigh (pictured), who works alongside fellow King’s SNODs Marco Bon, Debbie Lovell, Maria Prous Alcaraz, Kat Kesek and Lottie Miller to support donor patients and their families, added: “If you are considering registering your organ donation decision, we would encourage you to do so. It only takes a few minutes and could one day save up to nine lives.

“It’s also important to tell your family and friends, so they know what you want to happen when you die, which will make it much easier if there comes a time when organ donation is a possibility.”

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, at NHS Blood and Transplant, added:

“Organ donation and transplantation is a fundamental part of the NHS work to save lives. This is shown by the increase in the number of patients this year receiving transplants and the number of those who are continually registering their decision to be an organ donor.

“We need to work to improve consent/authorisation rates by encouraging people to register their decision and discuss it with their families as organ donation really does save lives.”

Find out more and register your decision by visiting NHS Organ Donor Register at
www.organdonation.nhs.uk and share your decision with your family.