Sedgefield MP Paul Howell is proudly supporting Organ Donation Week, having had the campaign brought to her attention by Sedgefield constituents affected by the issue.
During the campaign week, NHS Blood and Transplant, hospitals, charities and supporters of organ donation are encouraging people across the UK to talk about organ donation with their relatives and friends.
Commenting, Paul said:
This year I am proudly supporting Organ Donation Week and an appeal for more people to talk about organ donation.
Thousands of local people are on the NHS Organ Donor Register but hundreds of lifesaving transplants are being missed around the country every year because families don't know what their relative wanted.
During the week, NHS Blood and Transplant, hospitals, charities, and supporters of organ donation are encouraging people across the UK to talk about organ donation with their relatives and friends.
I'm happy to support this lifesaving appeal and it's really easy for everyone to take part: just have a chat with the people around you.
That chat might be the next time you sit down for a meal, when you are shopping or working, or when you are just driving in the car. If you want to be a donor, your family's agreement is still needed for donation to go ahead, even if you are on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
Families who agree to donate say it helps with their grief and that they feel enormous sense of pride at knowing their relative gave others the chance of a new beginning, so I would encourage everyone to do what they can to support this appeal.
Anthony Clarkson, Assistant Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:
“We are really grateful for Paul’s support because hundreds of lives are being lost every year.”
“This Organ Donation Week, tell your family you want to save lives. A few words now can make an extraordinary difference. If you are unsure about donation, please ask yourselves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant? Would you accept a life-saving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?”
Paul will continue to support this vital campaign, promoting awareness both in Eastleigh and in Westminster.
