Articles

Would you take an organ if you needed one? Nearly everyone would, but only 31% of us have
joined the Organ Donor Register! More than 10,000 people in the UK currently need a transplant. Of these, 1000 each year – that is three a day - will die waiting as there are
not enough organs available.

Since 1 April 2012

• 741 people have donated organs
• an additional 1,831 people have donated corneas
• 2,277 people have received the gift of sight
• 1,878 people have received transplants
• 7,588 people are still waiting for transplants

In 2012, Kettering general Hospital launched an appeal to ask local people who had received an organ donation or whose family has made a donation to help run a new local Organ Donation Committee at KGH.

Since this launch, the Committee has gone from strength to strength and is now looking for new members to support its activity. The Key purpose of the Committee is to raise awareness within the Community to encourage people to sign up to the National Organ Donation Register. 2012 has been a breaking year in transplantation nationally, with an increase of 8% over the previous year. At KGH we are delighted that more people than ever before, due to the recent Campaigns and activity of the Committee, are now signing up to the Register.
The Committee has been active in raising awareness by:

• Campaigns supported by the Evening Telegraph and KGH’s Together magazine
• Working with Tresham College to raise awareness with their students through interactive workshops
• Supporting National Transplant Week
• Partnership working with Local Authorities and GPs
• Educational displays at local shopping centres and health clinics

The Committee, which meets at KGH four times a year, is looking for individuals to support its aim and actively help to promote the importance of organ donation locally.

If you feel that this is something which you can contribute time and experience to, please get in touch to find out more. The Chair of the Committee Suzanne Sharp, who has benefitted from two organ transplants herself, is happy to speak to volunteers and can be contacted on 07791 427162 or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you believe in organ donation, prove it

Please help us to turn people’s good intentions about organ donation into action by registering on the Organ Donor Register