Britain is facing a reduction in organ transplants because of shortages of donors, it was revealed today.
A sharp fall in deaths of potential donors contributed to a 5% reduction in transplants last year.
Growing numbers of operations involving living donors have not compensated for the loss of donors.
Efforts to increase the proportion of families agreeing to transplants have also been unsuccessful, NHS Blood and Transplant reported. Doctors gain permission in fewer than 60% of cases.
The figures show that in the year ending in March, some 4,431 transplants were performed – compared with 4,655 the previous year.
Some 1,092 involved living donors who give a kidney or part of the liver.
During the year some 7,450 people died who could have been donors – compared with 8,157 the previous year.
The agency also revealed that on 120 occasions families overruled a deceased person’s declaration that they would be an organ donor.
Sally Johnson, from NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “The decreases we can see across all types of organ transplant will lead to more deaths if we do not reverse this trend going forward.
"We know there is a combination of reasons for the decreases, but we cannot hope to save more lives unless UK citizens talk about organ donation with their families and agree to donate if ever they are asked.”
Leave a Reply