NHS launches urgent plan as organ donation falls 9%
NHS Blood and Transplant has launched its first urgent response plan for organ donation after deceased donation rates fell 9% compared with the same point last year. More than 8,700 people are now waiting for a lifesaving transplant across the UK.
Organ donation pressure
- Donation rate change
- Down 9%
- Waiting list
- More than 8,700
- Family consent
- 57%, from 67%
- Possible donations lost
- More than 700
The service says nine people die each week while waiting for a transplant. Its plan is intended to identify more potential donors, improve neurological death testing, raise consent rates and reduce delays across the donation process.
Why family conversations matter
Family consent fell from 67% in 2020/21 to 57% last year, a drop of 10 percentage points. NHS Blood and Transplant says support is about 90% when a family knows the person's decision, compared with around 50% when no decision is known.
More than 700 potential donations did not proceed between April 2021 and March 2026 because families were unsure what the person wanted. The NHS estimate of about 2,127 missed transplant opportunities is based on an average of three organs from each deceased donor.
What the rules mean in Wales
Wales has operated a deemed-consent system since December 2015. Eligible adults who have not opted out may be treated as having no objection to donation, but families are still involved and can explain what the person wanted.
Welsh Government figures published for the law's tenth anniversary said more than 2,000 organs had been donated in Wales since it began. Of these, 640 followed deemed consent from 198 deceased donors and more than 550 were transplanted.
How to record a decision
A decision can be registered or updated through the NHS Organ Donor Register, the NHS Wales App or by calling 0300 123 23 23. The NHS says recording a decision takes about two minutes and one donor can potentially save or improve up to nine lives.
Only about 1% of people die in circumstances where organ donation is possible. The urgent plan will work with NHS organisations to recognise more potential donors and make better use of viable donation opportunities while a longer-term transformation programme is developed.