A recent initiative launched at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) has helped increase the NHS Organ Donation Register by thousands.

QEHB played host to the local launch of the appeal by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) which attempts to highlight the vital message of encouraging people to donate their organs.

Statistics from NHSBT show that as of May 2018, there were 1,826,756 signed up to the register in the West Midlands, with 520 people in the region on the transplant waiting list.

Nationally, over 52,000 new donors signed up to the register during Organ Donation Week. In the West Midlands, NHSBT recruited an extra 7,701 people onto the register during the month of September.

Anthony Clarkson, Interim Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHSBT said: “We have had a hugely successful Organ Donation Week in 2018 and are so pleased by the support we received.

“Thanks to support from the general public, hospitals, partners and stakeholders, we know 52,403 people signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register through our website that week.”

A record number of people donated organs last year, with the highest increase in 28 years. However, there are still some barriers in the way.

John Forsythe, NHSBT Associate Medical Director for Organ Donation and Transplantation, said: “Last year, 65 people died on the lung transplant waiting list and many of those lives could have been saved or transformed had more families said yes to donation.

“Telling your family what you want also makes things easier at a difficult time. Sadly, many donation opportunities are lost every year because families don’t know if their loved one wanted to be a donor or not. We urgently need people to tell their families they want to donate.”

For more information on organ donation, visit the NHSBT website or to sign up to the Organ Donation Register.