Organ donor bus heading to Lord Mayor’s Show

Notes for Editors

• To date, over 13.7 million people have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register, the confidential, electronic database of those who have registered their wish to help others live in the event of their death. The ODR was set up in 1994 and is maintained by UK Transplant.
• The largest source of people joining the ODR is those who complete the relevant tickbox section when applying to the DVLA for their provisional driving licence.
• 30% of people joining the ODR are aged between 16 and 25. A further 25% are aged between 26 and 35, while 8% are 65 or over when they join.
• More women (54%) than men (46%) have signed up to the ODR.
• From 1 September 2006, the wishes of people who want to donate organs after their death will be given legal precedence. Under the Human Tissue Act 2004, relatives will no longer have the legal right to overrule a loved one’s wish to donate organs or tissue, offering new hope to the thousands of people who need an organ transplant.
• Last year (2005-06), 2,794 people received a life-saving or life-enhancing organ transplant. The majority, 2,195, were from 764 people who became organ donors after their death.
• A further 2,502 people received the gift of sight thanks to a cornea transplantation.
• A total of 590 people received a kidney transplant from a living donor – a close relative or friend – the highest number ever.
• Despite those successes, almost 500 people died waiting for a transplant because no suitable donated organ was available. Currently, more than 8,000 people need an organ transplant.
• People can also join the ODR by contacting the Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400 or visiting www.uktransplant.org.uk Even those already carrying a donor card should ensure their wishes are registered as a card can be lost or damaged and a person may not be carrying it when they are taken to hospital.
• It is also important for people to discuss their wishes with their family so they know what their loved one wanted should the time ever come.
• Recent research by UK Transplant highlighted that the biggest block to increasing the number of life-saving organ transplants was the fact that 40% of relatives refused permission for their loved ones organs to be donated. One of the main reasons was that they did not know if donation is what their relative wanted.
• You are more likely to need a transplant than you are to become a donor.

UK Transplant

UK Transplant is a part of NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), a Special Health Authority within the NHS responsible for managing the National Blood Service, Bio Products Laboratory, and UK Transplant. NHSBT is responsible for optimising the supply of blood, organs, plasma and tissues and raising the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of blood and transplant services

Press release published Tuesday 31 October 2006

A group of transplant recipients will be grabbing their pompons and red bowler hats and jumping aboard a double-decker bus to fly the flag for organ donation at this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show in London, in front of an estimated crowd of more than half a million people.

More than 30 volunteers, many of whom whose lives have been saved by organ donation, will be aboard the red 1962 former London Transport Routemaster, which has been at the heart of a UK Transplant campaign to encourage more people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).

The Organ Donor Bus will be taking to the capital’s streets almost a year to the day since the last Routemaster bus was taken out of service. It has been touring the country since August, visiting towns and cities, where visitors have been able to find out more from transplant recipients and coordinators about organ donation and how to join the 13.7 million people already on the ODR.

It will weave its way down the M1 visiting Northampton, Milton Keynes, Luton and Watford on the third and final leg of its national tour, before joining the thousands of other pageant entries at the Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday, 11 November.

This is the first time UK Transplant has entered the event, which is now nearly 800-years-old.

Angie Burton, UK Transplant Marketing & Campaigns Manager, who has organised the tour, said: “Everyone is really looking forward to being involved in one of the oldest and most popular events of its kind in the country. We’ll all be dressing up in red bowler hats and waving pompons and UK Transplant flags and celebrating the gift of life that organ donation has given to so many people.

“As well as being an exciting day for everyone involved, this is also a wonderful opportunity to show just how much of a difference transplants make to people’s lives with so many recipients volunteering to take part.

“There are 8,000 people waiting for a transplant. Unfortunately, almost 500 died last year waiting. If more people joined the NHS Organ Donor Register then more people’s lives could be saved.

“The bus has been a huge success story on the tour and encouraged lots of people to find out more about organ donation and transplantation. This is just the perfect end to what has been a very positive campaign.”

The Donor Bus is owned and run by charity Transplants in Mind. Its visit to London follows on from its high-profile appearance at this August’s British Transplant Games in Bath.

People can join the NHS Organ Donor Register by contacting the Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400 or visiting www.uktransplant.org.uk

For further information, please contact UK Transplant Communications on 0117 975 7477.

Volunteers taking part include:

Andy Cook, 45, a heart recipient from Halesowen in the Midlands. Andy is an active volunteer with organisations such as UK Transplant and also a member of the American Transplant Association. “It’s great to be once again helping UK Transplant, especially at a prestigious event like the Lord Mayor’s Show. It’s a great opportunity to reach lots of people about the importance of the donor register.”

Vic Rawlings, 61, a double lung recipient from Birmingham. Vic is a former lorry driver who will be driving the bus at the Lord Mayor’s Show. “I am really proud to be involved and to be driving the bus. It’s a great opportunity to try and get more people to sign up to the donor register. If it weren’t for donors then I wouldn’t have had my transplant.”

Catharine Hall, 40, a kidney recipient from Bristol. Catharine is a former staff nurse at the Bristol Children’s Hospital Renal Unit. “I enjoyed being a volunteer on the tour and helping to get more people to sign up to the register. It was good to talk about my own experiences to other people. I’m very excited about being aboard the bus for the Lord Mayor’s Show. It’s a great opportunity to reach lots of people about the importance of the donor register.”

John Fisher, 46, a heart recipient from Staines near Heathrow. John is a keen marathon runner who raises money for transplant charities. Next year he will be running the Great Wall of China Marathon. “It’s great that UK Transplant is coming to London. This is the perfect opportunity to not only reach people of all ages and races, but also underline the fact that people who have had a transplant lead a normal life.”

Diana Saunders, 50, a heart and lungs recipient from Oxford. Diana is a psychologist and has just written a book about her transplant experience called Will I Still Be Me: A Journey Through A Transplant. “It would mean so much to me to see more people sign up to the Organ Donor Register. There are so many people out there who desperately need a transplant. They just need that chance.”

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