Become a donor - and save lives

DONATION . . . Organ transport box in theatre

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MORE than 62,000 people in Oldham are on the NHS Organ Donor Register, an increase of 11,000 people since 2012.

The figure has been revealed by NHS Blood and Transplant, whose annual Transplant Activity Report, published today, shows the UK number of people alive thanks to transplants has reached the milestone figure of 50,000.

In Greater Manchester, the number of people currently known to be alive thanks to organ transplants has reached 2,218.

NHS Blood and Transplant is now urging Mancunians to help even more people to survive by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.

More people are alive thanks to transplants because of improving survival rates and increased public commitment to donation.

In Greater Manchester, the number of people on the Organ Donor Register has increased by 26 per cent over the past five years. There are now 863,137 people on the register, compared to 686,558 five years ago.

In Oldham, the numbers have risen from 50,990 five years ago to 62,587.

Anyone can sign up as a donor on the register and those who do could save or transform up to nine people's lives by donating your organs when you die and help even more by donating tissue.

The public support for donation also means more people in Manchester are receiving life-saving and life-enhancing transplants. Last year, 244 people in Greater Manchester had transplants, compared to 169 five years ago.

Despite the record-breaking public commitment to donation, there is still a shortage of organ donors.

There is a particular need for people to register from black and Asian backgrounds. People from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a match, but there are not enough black and Asian donors.

Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "More people than ever in Greater Manchester are committing to organ donation and that is saving more lives than ever.

"It's amazing to picture all the people alive today thanks to organ donation and think of all the families and children who have grown up thanks to donors.

"We're seeing more and more people committing to donation and the good results of our close work with hospitals.

"Our specialist nurses in organ donation are now almost always involved in discussions with families over organ donation.

"However, there is still a long way to go. Around three people still die a day in need of a transplant. Every one of those people who die could be a mother or a father, a daughter or a son.

"Families tell us donation is a source of pride that helps them in their grieving process.

"We don't want anyone in Greater Manchester to miss the opportunity to save lives through organ donation. Please join the NHS Organ Donor Register. It only takes two minutes."

To join the NHS Organ Donor Register visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk