A landmark report has been launched to tackle a national crisis in organ donation.

The NHS transplant waiting list is at a record high with thousands of people waiting and dying before they get an organ. The Government has vowed to act and published a report with a series of key recommendations to reverse a trend which has seen the rate of bereaved families supporting donation plummet to 59%, down from 68% before the Covid-19 pandemic

The Organ Donation Joint Working Group (ODJWG), which received input from 600 donor families and clinicians, concludes the pandemic has had a lasting impact on public attitudes towards the NHS, end-of-life care and consent decisions by bereaved families - who can veto any donation in the crucial moments after death.

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Dr Gail Miflin, co-chair of the ODJWG, said: “This report represents a turning point for organ donation. With the waiting list at a record high, we need to take bold action, and we need Government, society and the NHS to come together to save lives.”

More than 8,200 patients are now on the NHS transplant waiting list which is the highest on record. In the past decade nearly 5,000 people have died waiting for a life-saving transplant.

One of those families who helped shape the report was Jess Cooper from Tadcaster, Yorkshire. Her husband Paul died in a car accident near Harrogate in 2018 aged 35, and Jess made the decision when she was told there was nothing more doctors could do to save Paul’s life.

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Jess said: “Paul was the kind of person who would do anything for anyone, so when the time came, there was no hesitation in saying yes to organ donation. Although we’d never had a serious conversation about it, we once joked about it, and that stayed with me.

“In the darkest moment of my life, knowing the sort of person Paul was made the decision clear.

“I find so much comfort in knowing that people are alive today because of him. Their families still get to see them, speak to them, laugh with them and that brings me enormous pride.

“Knowing Paul didn’t die in vain has helped me navigate my grief and explain to our children that their daddy is a real-life superhero.”

The ODJWG - a collaboration between NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) - drew on advice from countries around the world. Surveys generally show very high levels of support for organ donation but real consent rates in practice fall below that.

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The report, called A Bolder, Braver Approach for Organ Donation in the UK, sets three ambitions:

• A major drive to get more people to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register


• Improved NHS support for grieving families when they are asked about organ donation coordinated by a specialist nurse for organ donation in all hospitals


• Improve performance monitoring and provide ethical advice on organ donation matters

The report highlights positive effects of the historic 2020 law change to “deemed consent” - achieved after years of campaigning by the Mirror - as a move towards the UK being a “proactive organ donation country”. However it points out that legislation alone is not enough and more needs to be done to encourage people to agree to donate during a time of grief or crisis.

Jess added: “Death is something we don’t like to talk about with the people we love, because we can’t bear to imagine losing them. But when that moment comes, families are faced with overwhelming pressure and life-changing decisions at the worst time of their lives.

“That’s why it’s so important to have these conversations while you’re alive. Please talk to your family about organ donation, whether it’s something you want to do or not. If it is, make sure you register your decision, so your loved ones can be certain they are honouring what you truly wanted.”

To register your organ donation decision call 0300 123 23 23, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or use the NHS app in England.