Doncaster hospital trust lights up pink in support for organ donation week

Councils, business, hospitals and community groups around the country turned their buildings pink, symbolising the colour of the ‘Yes I Donate’ organ donation campaign, to inspire people to share with their families their decision to register as an organ donor.

Nationally, someone dies every day in need of an organ. With almost 7,000 people currently on the active transplant waiting list, each year it becomes more imperative to raise awareness of organ donation and encourage families to have open-hearted discussions about their donor status.

Jane Tute, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It was wonderful to see the pink lights shining across Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals again this year.

“NHS Blood and Transplant are urging people to add their name to the register and we hope those who have seen the hospitals illuminated this week will reflect on their decision to donate.

“Families are more likely to support donation when they know their loved one’s decision, so have the ‘heart to heart’ with your loved ones today.”

The impact of your decision to become an organ donor can be phenomenal, with tissue such as skin, bone and heart valves being used to save and improve up to nine people’s lives every day. Your decision to be a donor can even help to restore people’s sight with cornea transplants giving someone back the gift of sight.

Even though the law around organ donation has now changed to an ‘opt out’ system across England, Scotland and Wales, it’s important to remember that family members will still always be involved before organ donation goes ahead. This means it is just as important as ever to register your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and ensure your friends and family know what you want and will support your decision.

At present, there are currently more than 30 million people in the UK who have registered their organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, with more than 27 million of them explicitly agreeing to be an organ donor when they die. However, this still only represents around 44% of the UK population.

This week and beyond, the Trust encourages it’s patients, employees and wider community celebrate the gift of life, as every donation is precious and can make such a difference to the recipients and their loved ones.

Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant said: “It’s brilliant of DBTH to show its support for Organ Donation Week. The modern organ donor card is pink, and it certainly gets conversations going.”

“We need people in South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire to not only talk to their families about organ donation, but to register their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. This could be the difference between life and death for someone else.”

Register your donation decision at www.organdonation.nhs.uk, it only takes two minutes to confirm your decision and potentially save a life.