FAMILIES are being urged to talk about organ donation after research found less than half of adults in England have had the conversation.
The Leave Them Certain campaign lead by NHS Blood and Transplant aims to highlight the impact not knowing has on the families who are left behind and encourage people talk about their decision.
But NHS Blood and Transplant want more people to talk with their families about their decision.
The Organ Donation Attitudinal Survey found across the country 49 per cent of people have have a conversation about organ donation and 39 per cent said they had shared their decision on whether they want to donate.
This follows the law change last year in England, which means that all adults are seen as willing to donate their organs, unless they opt out or are in one of the excluded groups.
In the West Midlands there are 1,877,700 people listed on the NHS ODR opt-in registrations but that is just 33 per cent of the population.
In Coventry, between 2019 and 2020, from 36 consented donors the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust facilitated 26 actual solid organ donors resulting in 64 patients receiving a life-saving or life-changing transplant.
Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “People often tell us that they struggle to find the right time or words to talk about organ donation, unfortunately we see first-hand the impact not knowing has on families when the first time they consider their loved ones wishes around organ donation is when they are seriously ill or have already died.
“Talk to your friends, talk to your family.
“Even though the law has changed, you can still sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register to provide your family with added reassurance.
“Please don’t wait. Have the conversation today.”
For more information on organ donation, and to register a decision visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.
