Southport and Ormskirk hospitals help give the organ donation message a much needed lift

…almost 200 patients awaiting life saving donations across Merseyside and West Lancs

Southport and Ormskirk hospitals are working in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant to promote organ donation to all its staff, patients and visitors.

The doors to the main lifts have been covered with promotional messages urging people to sign up to be an organ donor.

In total, there are currently 23 people across West Lancashire and 172 in Merseyside who need a lifesaving organ transplant. They need people to say yes to organ donation so they can get the organ they so desperately need.

The hospital is promoting organ donation – in both Southport and Ormskirk hospitals – with the aim it might make people think about it while waiting for the lift and then go on to register. This would hopefully, in turn, open the door to more people getting the transplants they need.

During the past decade people in Merseyside and West Lancashire have had their lives saved or transformed thanks to deceased organ donors from across the UK. However, sadly three people a day still die whilst in need of a transplant due to the shortage of people willing to donate organs.

In total, eight out of 10 of us agree it’s important to tell those closest to us our views about organ donation after death, but only a third say their family knows their wishes about organ donation.*

Laurence Frys, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, said: “Organ donation saves lives and one organ donor can save or transform up to nine lives and even more by donating tissue as well.

“I know that more families agree to donation if they know their loved one was on the Organ Donor Register. Save your family from having to guess what you would have wanted. Join the NHS Organ Donor Register and let your family know your decision. One day it could be someone you love in need of a transplant.”

Dr Andrew Kent, Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at Southport Hospital, added: “We are delighted to be promoting organ donation on the doors of the lifts within the hospitals. Transplants save lives and are only possible if people are willing to donate.

“Every single hospital in the UK will be in a town or city where there are patients waiting for a transplant and we hope this initiative will prompt our employees, patients and visitors to the hospital to think about organ donation and to commit to save lives as a donor by signing up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.”

Please sign up today at www.organdonation.nhs.uk and Let your friends and family know you want to help others after your death. For further information please contact 0300 123 2323.

COLOURFUL: Dr Andrew Kent with Specialist Nurse Laurence Frys at Southport hospital, outside the ground floor lift.

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