Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham is doing his bit to increase understanding of organ donation and encourage more people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register by supporting National Transplant Week which runs from 9th to 15th July.
Three people die every day whilst they wait for organs in the UK and just 30% of the UK population is currently signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Despite the thousands of life-saving transplant operations which take place every year, some 7,500 people are on the waiting list for a transplant in the UK.
Earlier this year, Alex visited the Institute of Transplantation at The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, a specially created unit carrying out the widest possible range of transplant surgery in the country.
There he met with Professor Derek Manas who warned him about the urgent need to increase the numbers of donors to meet demand, and advocated radical reform in Government policy on donors, introducing an opt-out scheme in the place of the opt-in scheme.
Alex said:
‘I am delighted to be supporting National Transplant Week 2012, and I hope the week encourages more of my constituents to become donors and ‘pass it on’ to loved ones.’
“If you join the ODR tell the people closest to you. Otherwise, your wishes may come as a surprise at a time when they are trying to deal with their loss. This could affect their decision to proceed with a life-saving donation. To add your name to the ODR please call 0300 123 2323, text JOIN 84880 or visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk.”