Nearly 800 Notts people owe their lives to organ donation

"Yes I donate" NHS organ donor card. Card in hand.

NHS Blood and Transplant revealed 779 people in the county at the moment are alive due to a successful transplant.

The figure was revealed in the annual Transplant Activity Report, which shows the UK-wide number of people alive thanks to transplants has reached the milestone figure of 50,000.

NHS Blood and Transplant is now urging people in Nottinghamshire to help even more people to survive by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.

In Nottinghamshire, the number of people on the Organ Donor Register has increased by 27 per cent over the past five years to 383,686.

Anyone can sign up as a donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “More people than ever in Nottinghamshire are committing to organ donation and that is saving more lives than ever.

“It’s amazing to picture all the people now alive today thanks to organ donation and think of all the families and children who have grown up thanks to donors.

“We’re seeing more and more people committing to donation and the good results of our close work with hospitals.

“Our specialist nurses in organ donation are now almost always involved in discussions with families over organ donation.

“However there is still a long way to go. Around three people still die a day in need of a transplant. Every one of those people who died could be a mother or a father, a daughter or a son, who might be alive today.

“Families tell us donation is a source of pride that helps them in their grieving process.

“We don’t want anyone in Nottinghamshire to miss the opportunity to save lives through organ donation.

“Please join the NHS Organ Donor Register. It only takes two minutes.”

Nationally, the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register reached a record number, 23.6 million.

The public support for donation also means more people in Nottinghamshire are receiving lifesaving and life enhancing transplants. Last year 70 people in Nottinghamshire had transplants, compared to 68 five years ago.

Please join the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk