Wanted: Organ donors

Only 28 percent of people in the UK are signed up to the Organ Donor Register and there is a significant shortage of donor hearts.

Heart transplants offer the best chance of long term survival for critically ill heart failure patients to recover and lead a full life. 

We want the law changed so that people have to opt out of being on the NHS Organ Donor Register rather than having to opt in.

Northern Ireland – your views wanted

Jo-Anne Dobson, MLA, has taken the first steps towards changing the law in Northern Ireland to introduce an opt-out system. This could dramatically increase the number of donor organs available and help to save lives.

They’re asking for the public’s views on this issue with their online consultation. It’s vital that if you live in Northern Ireland, you take part and submit your views. There are 10 quick questions to answer – take this opportunity to have your voice heard.

Proving that there’s public support for a change in the law to increase the amount of organ donors is vital. Decision makers in Northern Ireland need to hear loud and clear that this is the right thing to do and could help to save lives.

Take part in the consultation

What you can do

There just aren't enough donors out there at the moment

Start by signing up to the NHS Organ Donor Register

Make sure you tell your relatives if you want to be a donor*

Learn more about an opt-out organ donation policy

Progress in Wales

In Wales, the Government has been considering introducing legislation that would bring in an opt-out system. The proposed legislation would put in place a ‘soft opt-out’ system meaning that everyone would automatically be an organ donor unless they chose not to be. Families would continue to have the legal right of veto in cases where the wishes of the deceased are unknown.

Download and read our report on making opt-out a reality in Wales

Sue's story

Sue Lord is a mother of four and suffers from Cardiomyopathy, a condition which causes the heart to enlarge. In many people this means that the heart can no longer pump blood efficiently and so the person’s quality of life can be significantly reduced. Cardiomyopathy cannot be cured and Sue's now been on the organ donor list since last February waiting for a new heart.

Sue and her husband Steve have been calling for an opt out organ donation system to be established in the UK.

"There just aren’t enough donors out there at the moment. Until you’re put in the situation of needing an organ it’s not something you really give a lot of thought to.

Before I got ill I used to regularly donate blood and I was going to donate bone marrow, but I wasn’t on the Organ Donor Register just because I never got round to it.

People should automatically be put on the Organ Donor Register to make more organs available and help save lives.”