Organ Donor Task Force Set-up

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to increase the number of people in Gloucestershire willing to make life-saving organ donations.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to increase the number of people in Gloucestershire willing to make life-saving organ donations.

A new organ donation group has been set up under the direction of Dr Alex D’Agapeyeff, to present the facts about organ donation and increase the number of local people signing up to be an organ donor.

Last year a record number of 3513 organ transplants were carried out in the UK, but with the waiting list for organs growing by approximately 8% every year and 7000 people currently needing transplants, the need for more donated organs is critical.

“The gift of life is the most precious thing we can give“ Dr D’Agapeyeff, clinical lead for organ donation at the Trust, “Our aim is to make sure everyone from hospital staff to families and relatives understand and appreciate the need for signing on to the NHS Organ Donation Register.”

There are currently 100 donation committees in place throughout the UK with the responsibility to champion organ donation following a Government initiative two years ago. The Cheltenham and Gloucester donor Task Force has the support of the Trust and includes doctors, nurses, a trust governor and a member from a donor family.

Dr D’Agapeyeff added “In 2008/9 443 people in the UK died while waiting due to the critical shortage of donors. We will work to increase awareness of need for donors and the gift of life they give to others.  If we can simply increase local donations by 50% we will be helping to save many lives.”

During 2010, 14 organs were retrieved locally for transplant to patients throughout the UK.