By Increased deceased organ donations are saving lives.
New figures released by Oxford University Hospitals reveal that there were 31 deceased organ donors at the John Radcliffe Hospital last year, an increase from 25 the previous year.
Nationally, 67 percent of families giving their consent when asked about organ donation and as a result, deceased organ donor figures were on course to surpass the previous year’s total although have been affected significantly by COVID-19,
Despite the outbreak, 1,580 people in the UK donated their organs after they died, saving or improving the lives of 3,760 transplant recipients.
Peter Friend, Director of the Oxford Transplant Centre based at the Churchill Hospital, said:
“Transplantation continues to make big strides in Oxford, both in terms of the number of patients that we are able to treat and the successful outcome of those transplants. We are always aware that none of this would be possible without the generosity and support of donors and the families of donors.”
The recently released Transplant Activity Report shows that the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust carried out 274 transplants in 2019/20, including:
- 160 kidney transplants from deceased donors
- 52 kidney transplants from living donors
- 53 pancreas transplants
- 4 transplants of pancreatic islets (cell transplants)
- 5 transplants of the intestine
England moved to an opt-out system, bringing in Max and Keira’s Law, on 20 May 2020 and it is hoped public support for organ donation will continue to improve.
Adults covered by the new law change still have a choice whether they want to be an organ donor and their families are still involved before organ donation goes ahead.
Photo by Richard Catabay on Unsplash
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