The NHS Organ Donor Register
In the event of your death, there is a chance that your organs could help to save someone else’s life.
The NHS Organ Donor Register is a national, confidential database that holds the details of more than 16 million people who want to donate their organs after their death. The register can be accessed by healthcare professionals to find out whether an individual has registered to be an organ donor.
By adding your name to the NHS Organ Donor Register, everyone will be aware of your wishes, making it easier for them to agree to your donation. You can join the register in a number of ways, including:
- by completing an online form (click on the logo to the left)
- by completing a form which is available in GP surgeries, libraries, hospitals and pharmacies
- by calling the NHS Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23
- when applying for a driving licence
- when registering with a GP
- when registering for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
When registering, it is important that you tell the people closest to you about your decision. In the event of your death, the person closest to you (usually your next of kin) will be asked to confirm that you had not changed your mind prior to your death.
Many people have gained a great deal of comfort from knowing that the death of a loved one has helped saved the life of another person.
The donation process
If appropriate, brain stem death testing will be carried out by hospital staff to confirm that the patient is dead. Alternatively, a joint decision may be made by medical staff, nursing staff and the patient’s relatives that, although brain stem death has not occurred, the prospect of survival is so low that it is not helpful to continue with artificial ventilation.
The organ donor register will be checked and if the patient is found to be on the register, the local specialist nurse for organ donation (formerly known as the transplant co-ordinator) will be contacted. If the patient is on the donor register, the specialist nurse will speak to the family about the patient’s wishes.
If the family agrees to organ donation, the specialist nurse must ensure that medical tests are carried out, such as blood group and tissue type matching. They will also look at the donor’s medical history and may ask the family some questions about them. This will help to confirm whether or not the organ donation can take place.
You can find the answer to many common questions about organ and tissue donation on the NHS Blood and Transplant website. You can also read the life stories of people who have received organs, and of families who have donated their loved ones' organs.
Conditions that rule out organ donation
There are only two medical conditions that always prevent someone from donating an organ. These are:
- HIV, which is a virus that attacks the immune system (the body’s natural defence against illness and infection) and is spread through the exchange of infected bodily fluids, such as blood.
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which is a rare condition that affects the nervous system, causing brain damage. Patients who are suspected of having CJD are also prevented from donating organs.
All patients who are waiting for transplants are registered on the National Transplant Database at NHS Blood and Transplant. This is a database that holds records of every person in the UK who is waiting to receive an organ transplant. When organs from a donor become available, a computer search is carried out to find the most suitable recipients.
A team of specialist surgeons is called to the donor's hospital to carry out the surgery to remove and preserve the organs for transport to the transplant unit. Timing is crucial because certain organs need to be transplanted within four to six hours.
During the operation, the surgeon will make a final decision about whether the organs are healthy and suitable to be transplanted. If all is well, the organ is received at the transplant unit and transplanted immediately. After the transplant has been completed, the recovery process and a new life for the transplant recipient can begin.
