Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSCall for organ donation discussions
Three fifths of people (60%) have never spoken to friends and family about organ donation, according to a new survey.
Almost a third of those people (30%) do not discuss it because they do not consider it a priority, and 25% of them just do not want to think about it, the study found.
Introducing Nursing Times Learning
Subscribers get five FREE learning units and non-subscribers can access each learning unit for £10 + VAT.
Click on the topics below to get started:
The organ donation organisation for the UK, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), called on people to discuss the subject with friends and family, particularly as three people die every day before a suitable organ is found and almost 8,000 people are on the waiting list for a transplant.
Currently only 28% of the UK population is on the NHS Organ Donor Register, a spokeswoman said.
Professor Geoff Beattie, head of school and dean of psychological sciences at the University of Manchester, said: “The figures released by NHSBT show again that the UK public is reserved when it comes to opening up about their feelings.
“Organ donation is a tricky subject to talk about so many people choose to ignore it rather than face the reality.”
National Transplant Week, raising awareness of the issue, starts on Monday.
The survey of 2,000 UK adults was conducted by Tickbox in June on behalf of NHSBT.
Online training units, written and reviewed by experts. Earn two hours' CPD and a personalised certificate for your portfolio.
Subscribers get five FREE learning units and non-subscribers can access each learning unit for £10 + VAT.
Share
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment.