Donated organs from just 38 patients helped save or improve the lives of 4,532 people, according to new figures out today from University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).
The statistics, which have been released in conjunction with NHS Blood and Transplant, also show UHNM’s Royal Stoke University Hospital was one of the top five donor sites across the entire UK.
The news comes as the NHS continues to recover organ donation and transplant services, with figures indicating that deceased organ donation increased by 2% in the UK last year.
But, despite 1,429 people donating their organs after death last year, the waiting list for a transplant has increased as most of the activity in this area was suspended during the pandemic.
This, combined with the fact that more people have naturally accumulated on the waiting list, means that more than 7,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant of some descript, with a further 3,822 still waiting in the wings on the suspended list.
Dr Lewis subsequently urged the public register their decisions on the NHS Organ Donor Register as, if families are aware of their loved one’s wishes, they are much more likely honour that decision and allow for an organ donation.
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