NEW figures show 59 people in Worcestershire have died on the waiting list for an organ transplant over the past 10 years.
NHS Blood and Transplant revealed the tragic number of deaths to mark Organ Donation Week, from September 4 to 10, and is now urging people to tell their families they want to become donors.
Hundreds of life-saving transplants are being missed every year because families don’t know what their relative wanted. Left to make the decision for someone they love, families often decide it is safer to say no.
The reluctance to talk about the issue is contributing to a deadly shortage of organs.
In Worcestershire, there are currently 53 people waiting for a transplant. They will only receive that life-changing call if people make sure their families know they want to be a donor.
NHS Blood and Transplant surveys show more than 80 per cent of people support organ donation but only around 49 per cent have ever talked about it.
To support Organ Donation Week visit the website at www.nhsbt.nhs.uk
