Transplant operations reach record levels but hundreds still die waiting for an organ
Last updated at 1:25 AM on 4th November 2010
A record number of organ transplants were carried out last year, figures showed today.
There were 3,706 transplants in the 12 months to the end of March 2010, up 5 per cent on the previous year. However, the encouraging news was tempered with the disclosure that 552 patients died while waiting for an organ. A further 2,545 were temporarily suspended from the list because they were too ill to undergo the operation.
Fuelling the rise in total operations was a 7 per cent increase in the number of dead organ donors to 959.
Of those who died, most (97 per cent) gave a kidney and, of these, the majority (77 per cent) also donated at least one other organ.
There were 3,706 transplants in the 12 months to the end of March 2010, up 5 per cent on the previous year. However, the encouraging news was tempered with the disclosure that 552 patients died while waiting for an organ. A further 2,545 were temporarily suspended from the list because they were too ill to undergo the operation.
Fuelling the rise in total operations was a 7 per cent increase in the number of dead organ donors to 959.
Of those who died, most (97 per cent) gave a kidney and, of these, the majority (77 per cent) also donated at least one other organ.
There was also a 10 per cent increase in the number of living donors to 1,061, according to the report from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).
More than half of the total number of organ donors were healthy people donating either a kidney or part of their liver.
More than one in three of all kidney transplants now comes from a living donor.
Of those who benefited from a transplant, 3,061 patients had their sight restored through a cornea transplant, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year.
There was also an 8 per cent rise in the number of kidney transplants and a 3 per cent increase in the number of liver transplants from dead donors.
There was a 2 per cent drop in both the number of pancreas transplants and cardiothoracic organ transplants.
Overall, the number of people waiting for a transplant continues to grow, with a rise of 2 per cent rise in the last year. At the end of March, 7,997 patients were waiting for a transplant.
Today's report also revealed a 6 per cent rise in the number of people on the NHS organ donor register to just over 17 million.
Of these, 87 per cent are willing to donate all of their organs or tissue.
Nevertheless, families have the final say on whether to donate a relative's organs and the consent rate for organ donation remains at around 60 per cent of all eligible donors.
Of those who donated organs after death, 26 per cent were aged 60 or over, compared with 14 per cent in 2000/2001.
In particular, the proportion of donors aged at least 70 has risen from 2 per cent to 8 per cent over the same time period.
The proportion of clinically obese donors has also increased from 13 per cent to 24 per cent in the last 10 years.
The report said: 'All of these changes may have an adverse impact on the quality of the organs and the subsequent transplant outcome for the recipient.'
Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said she was delighted that more lives could be saved thanks to the rising number of transplants.
'We have made huge improvements to the way we work in hospitals and in promoting the overwhelming need for organs and I am glad these changes are reaping real rewards with so many lives saved,' she said.
'But there is more we must do if we are to save the three people a day who are currently dying due to lack of a suitable organ.
'One step is for people to sign up to the NHS organ donor register and to tell their families they wish to donate.'
In 2008, the Organ Donation Taskforce published recommendations with the aim of increasing donor rates by 50% by 2013.
Ms Johnson said: 'One of the key changes has been the employment by NHSBT of more than 200 specialist nurses in organ donation, most of whom are now based in intensive care units across the UK working alongside a growing network of 185 clinical organ donation leads.
'This shows that our work to promote the importance of organ donation must not stop as the need is increasing despite the increase in the number of transplants.'
Beatrice Brooke, policy manager at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the figures.
'These numbers are very exciting and show we are making headway towards getting more people to sign the organ donor register.
'But in one fell swoop we could transform the number of available organs by introducing an opt-out organ donation system.
'It means, with the proper safeguards in place, people would automatically be on the register unless they chose not to be.
'A heart transplant is a life-saving treatment for many patients and can give precious years to those who may otherwise have only weeks to live.'
More than half of the total number of organ donors were healthy people donating either a kidney or part of their liver.
More than one in three of all kidney transplants now comes from a living donor.
Of those who benefited from a transplant, 3,061 patients had their sight restored through a cornea transplant, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year.
There was also an 8 per cent rise in the number of kidney transplants and a 3 per cent increase in the number of liver transplants from dead donors.
There was a 2 per cent drop in both the number of pancreas transplants and cardiothoracic organ transplants.
Overall, the number of people waiting for a transplant continues to grow, with a rise of 2 per cent rise in the last year. At the end of March, 7,997 patients were waiting for a transplant.
Today's report also revealed a 6 per cent rise in the number of people on the NHS organ donor register to just over 17 million.
Of these, 87 per cent are willing to donate all of their organs or tissue.
Nevertheless, families have the final say on whether to donate a relative's organs and the consent rate for organ donation remains at around 60 per cent of all eligible donors.
Of those who donated organs after death, 26 per cent were aged 60 or over, compared with 14 per cent in 2000/2001.
In particular, the proportion of donors aged at least 70 has risen from 2 per cent to 8 per cent over the same time period.
The proportion of clinically obese donors has also increased from 13 per cent to 24 per cent in the last 10 years.
The report said: 'All of these changes may have an adverse impact on the quality of the organs and the subsequent transplant outcome for the recipient.'
Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said she was delighted that more lives could be saved thanks to the rising number of transplants.
'We have made huge improvements to the way we work in hospitals and in promoting the overwhelming need for organs and I am glad these changes are reaping real rewards with so many lives saved,' she said.
'But there is more we must do if we are to save the three people a day who are currently dying due to lack of a suitable organ.
'One step is for people to sign up to the NHS organ donor register and to tell their families they wish to donate.'
In 2008, the Organ Donation Taskforce published recommendations with the aim of increasing donor rates by 50% by 2013.
Ms Johnson said: 'One of the key changes has been the employment by NHSBT of more than 200 specialist nurses in organ donation, most of whom are now based in intensive care units across the UK working alongside a growing network of 185 clinical organ donation leads.
'This shows that our work to promote the importance of organ donation must not stop as the need is increasing despite the increase in the number of transplants.'
Beatrice Brooke, policy manager at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the figures.
'These numbers are very exciting and show we are making headway towards getting more people to sign the organ donor register.
'But in one fell swoop we could transform the number of available organs by introducing an opt-out organ donation system.
'It means, with the proper safeguards in place, people would automatically be on the register unless they chose not to be.
'A heart transplant is a life-saving treatment for many patients and can give precious years to those who may otherwise have only weeks to live.'
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