Organ Donation: How many people are on the register in your area?

By James Wyllie

September 26 2022, 6:00 am

New stats show how many people are on the organ donation register.

New stats on organ donation have been revealed, as health bosses urge people to make their feelings clear.

There are currently 851 people across Scotland waiting for a transplant, but only around 1% of us die in a way that makes donation possible.

Last year the rules changed to automatically assume everyone over 16 is willing to donate their organs, unless they’ve specified otherwise.

But health bosses want to ensure people make their feelings official, and discuss it with their loved ones, ahead of time.

‘Great comfort’ for families left behind

Specialist organ donation nurse Stephanie Thomson, based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, says the topic can come as a shock to families where organ donation hasn’t been discussed.

She said: “We’ve got a family that is reeling in shock from a bereavement that has happened or is about to happen, and if they’ve not had those conversations it makes it feel more intrusive.

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where staff speak to patients about the organ donation register — Stephanie works at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, but transplants take place in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Newcastle.<br />Picture by Kami Thomson

“It’s often more difficult for them to make a decision because of all the other things that are going on.”

Stephanie added: “But most families draw great comfort from it.

“At the point, we’re speaking to them, there’s nothing more that can be done for their loved one, so organ donation is the only positive that can come from it.

“And we get feedback from families of donors that they get cards or letters from grateful recipients, and they can draw huge strength from that.”

How many people have registered in my area?

Figures released today show how many people are on the organ donation register in each part of the country.

This includes people who have signed both kinds of declarations – either consenting to organ donation, or withdrawing from the process.

On average, a little over half the citizens in each area have agreed to donate their organs after their deaths, while around 3% have opted out.

‘By invitation only’

Stephanie says it’s crucial that people discuss their options with loved ones and break down some of the taboos around the process.

“There’s a fear factor for lots of people,” she added.

“When the law changed last year you heard things like ‘they won’t resuscitate you because you’re going to be an organ donor’ and ‘they want your organs above all else’.

“That’s not the case at all – we’re in the mix by invitation only.

Patients requiring a kidney transplant often head to Golden Jubilee Hospital in Glasgow. Picture by Chris Austin

“We’re not invited through the doors unless you know the patient is definitely not going to survive what’s happened to them.

“And we also do a bit of background on the donor so we know it can happen, and they haven’t been in poor health or things to prevent them being a donor.

“We don’t want to offer those families something that can’t happen, or be more intrusive than we need to.

“The gold standard for us is that the family know what the patient wants and support it.”