Organ donation
Although the numbers of both deceased and living kidney donors per year have almost doubled in the last decade, the waiting list for kidney transplants in the West of Scotland is still growing, and nobody can get a transplant without a donor donating a kidney.
There are thousands of patients across the UK waiting for other organ transplants as well, including heart, lung, liver, pancreas and small bowel transplants. Many will die without a transplant. A single deceased organ donor can save or improve the lives of seven different patients with organ failure, and it is very easy to join the Organ Donor Register online.
Healthy people can donate a kidney to a relative or close friend, and it is even possible to donate a kidney to a stranger. There is a thorough assessment process to make sure that living donors can donate safely: both in terms of fitness for the operation and in terms of ensuring the remaining kidney will work well enough for the rest of the donor’s life.
