Spreading the word about the importance of organ donation

This week is Organ Donation Week (September 3-9) and to help spread the word about the importance of organ donation, key organ donation messages have been put on four buses that travel routes around local hospitals.

The buses have been painted up with important organ donation messages in a bid to encourage the people of Greater Manchester to think about joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group wants to get people talking about their organ donation wishes and to share their decision with their loved ones.

The 'on the buses' campaign is a yearlong initiative supported by NHS Blood & Transplant, who contributed the artwork for the campaign.

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group brings together five hospitals, 2,000 beds, specialist and acute services, a range of associated community services, and over 17,000 staff across Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.  

The Alliance is one of the largest NHS organisations in the country with an operating budget of £1.3bn, serving 1m people.

The five hospitals operated by the Group are, Salford Royal, The Royal Oldham, Fairfield General in Bury, Rochdale Infirmary and North Manchester General.

The four buses are travelling routes around four Pennine Acute hospitals - The Royal Oldham, Fairfield General in Bury, Rochdale Infirmary and North Manchester General.

The Pennine Acute Organ Donation Committee came up with the idea to use buses because they reach a wide and diverse audience, including bus passengers, drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Kathryn Alletson, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation at The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, said: “We hope that the public will see the adverts and chat with their families and friends about organ donation and whether they would like to become an organ donor.

"Telling your family what your wishes are in life can make honouring your wishes easier for your family when you die; words save lives.

“It is an incredibly unique and wonderful gift to help others lead healthy and fulfilled lives after your death.”

In the North West there are around 260 people waiting for a transplant and there are 920,000 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Around 6,000 people across the UK are waiting for an organ transplant and three people a day die in need of a transplant due to a shortage of people being willing to donate organs.

Over 34,000 people joined the NHS Organ Donor Register during Organ Donation Week 2017, a huge testament to the work that took place all across the country to get people talking about organ donation, and supporting the cause.

More people are needed to join the NHS Organ Donor Register now at: www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

It only takes a few minutes to register and please remember to tell your family that you want them to support your decision to donate and save lives.

Ask them whether they want to be donors too.