North West Donation Games hosted at MediaCityUK

Salford Royal, in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, is set to host the second North West Donation Games in MediaCityUK on Friday, 7th September. The event celebrates organ donors and transplantation in the North West, incorporating a series of inflatable challenges for regional hospital and donation teams, donor families, transplant recipients and members of the public.

A total of 125 lives have been saved or transformed thanks to 38 Salford Royal patients who became organ donors in the past 12 months and The Organ Donation team at Salford Royal is asking people to support Organ Donation Week (September 3 to 9) and sign the organ donor register.

The national NHS awareness campaign is urging people to talk to their families about organ donation to increase the number of people whose lives can be saved or transformed by an organ transplant. Nationally, three people die every day in need of an organ, and there are currently around 570 people in the North West on the transplant waiting list.

Families will always be approached about the possibility of organ donation but it’s important to know a loved one’s wishes so their decision can be supported during this difficult time. Only around 1% of people die in circumstances where they can donate so every donor is incredibly precious. People who die in circumstances where donation is possible are usually patients who have been taken to hospitals specialising in trauma and brain injuries.

The latest figures from NHS Blood and Transplant show that 183 people have donated their organs at Salford Royal over the past 10 years, together enabling 537 transplants.

More and more families in Salford are saying yes to organ donation but there is still an urgent shortage of donors. NHS Blood and Transplant are asking people to tell their families they want to donate to help make sure more lives are saved.

Lian Vaughan, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation at Salford Royal, said: “Sadly, opportunities to save lives are lost every year because relatives aren’t sure what their loved one wanted. Only one third of adults in England have discussed their wish to become an organ donor, despite eight out of 10 people telling us they would be willing to donate or would consider it. It is so important for people to talk about organ donation. The more families that know the wishes of their loved one, the more lives will be saved.”

Anthony Clarkson, Interim Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant added: “We are very grateful to Salford Royal for its support during Organ Donation Week. Words save lives. Please, tell your family you want to save lives through organ donation, because it could be the difference between life and death for someone else.”

Millions of people are already on the NHS Organ Donor Register, join them today and tell your family you want to save lives. Register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk