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Transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern medicine. But they depend entirely on the generosity of donors and their families who are willing to make this life-saving or life-enhancing gift to others.

One donor can save the life of several people, restore the sight of two others and improve the quality of life of many more. The more people who pledge to donate their organs and tissue after their death, the more people stand to benefit. By choosing to join the NHS Organ Donor Register you could help to make sure life goes on for many others.

Joining the register records your agreement to the use of your organs and tissue for transplantation after your death.

When you register it is important that you tell those closest to you about your decision.

To decide whether or not you wish to become a donor after you have died is something very personal and it is important that everyone makes their own decision.

What Is Organ Donation?
Organ donation is the gift of an organ to help someone who needs a transplant. The generosity of donors and their families enables nearly 3,000 people in the UK every year to take on a new lease of life.

What Organs Can Be Transplanted?
Kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas and the small bowel can all be transplanted. Techniques are improving all the time and we may soon be able to transplant other parts of the body to help even more people.

Can Older People Be Donors?
Yes, in the case of cornea and some other tissue, age does not matter. For other organs it is the person's physical condition, not age, which is the deciding factor. Specialist healthcare professionals decide in each case which organs and tissue are suitable. Organs and tissue from people in their 70s and 80s are transplanted successfully.

Can I Agree To Donate Some Organs Or Tissue And Not Others?
Yes. You can specify which organs you would wish to donate. Simply tick the appropriate boxes on the NHS Organ Donor Register form or on the donor card, and let those close to you know what you have decided.

What Is The NHS Organ Donor Register?
The NHS Organ Donor Register is, quite literally, a life-saver. It is a confidential, computerised database which holds the wishes of more than 16 million people who have decided that, after their death, they want to leave a legacy of life for others. The register is used to help establish whether a person wanted to donate and, if so, what.

How Do I Sign Up To The Register?
There are a number of different ways to sign up to the Organ Donor Register:

• By adding your details online on the website below.
• By telephoning the Organ Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23.
• When completing a driving licence application form.
• When registering with a new doctor or GP's surgery.
• When applying for a Boots Advantage Card.
• When applying for a new passport, using the leaflet enclosed with the application form.
• When registering for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), using the leaflet enclosed with the application form.

Do I Need To Register If I Have A Donor Card?
Yes. Cards can and do get lost or damaged and you may not be carrying yours when you are taken to hospital. Adding your name to the register is a more permanent way of expressing your wishes. You can still carry a card if you wish to. Don't forget to tell your relatives what your wishes are.

Religious Perspectives On Organ Donation
All the major religions of the UK support the principles of organ donation and transplantation. However, within each religion there are different schools of thought, which means that views may differ. All the major religions accept that organ donation is an individual choice.

NHSBT has worked closely with religious leaders of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism to research and produce a series of leaflets explaining organ donation and religious viewpoints and principles.

Black And Other Minority Ethnic Communities
People from South Asian, African and African-Caribbean communities living in the UK have a greater chance of needing a kidney transplant than other groups in the population. This is because they are more likely to develop diabetes or high blood pressure, both of which are major causes of kidney failure.

Unfortunately, while the need for donor organs is three to four times higher than among the general population, donation rates are relatively low among black and South Asian communities, thus reducing the chance of a successful match being found.

Therefore not only are members of these communities at higher risk of kidney failure, it is also harder to find a suitable donor and waiting lists are growing. Although living donor kidney transplantation can help some of these patients, it is also essential to increase the number of people from these communities who are willing to donate organs after their death.

For more information please visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call the Organ Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23. We thank the NHSBT for their assistance with this feature.