NHS launches first urgent plan to reverse sharp fall in organ donation

The NHS has launched an emergency response to a sharp decline in organ donation, marking the first time the health service has put such a plan in place. NHS Blood and Transplant, the body that oversees donation and transplantation across the UK, confirmed the move after a sustained drop in donation rates.

The organisation’s own words frame the severity plainly — this is, by their account, among the worst stretches for organ donation in more than ten years. Figures released alongside the announcement show deceased donation rates running around 9% below the previous year, with the family consent rate falling from 67% to 57%, and approximately 8,700 people currently on the transplant waiting list.

Organ donation — where a person’s organs are used after death, or sometimes in life, to help someone whose own organs are failing — depends on a combination of family consent, clinical conditions at the time of death, and public willingness to be registered donors. Any sustained fall in donations can have direct consequences for patients waiting for transplants, some of whom have no other treatment option.

The plan sets out actions including identifying and referring more potential donors, improving neurological death testing, boosting consent rates, and accelerating improvements across the donation pathway.

If you want to register as an organ donor or check your existing decision, the NHS Organ Donor Register can be found by searching “organ donor register” on the NHS website. For general health questions, contact NHS 111 online or by phone.