Demand for donors rises

ONLY one in five Oldhamers have signed up to the organ donor register.

There are 26 people in Oldham waiting for a vital transplant and 49,935 on the register — just 22.8 per cent of the borough, compared with other areas in the country which boast sign-up rates of more than 40 per cent.

The Chronicle reported yesterday how new drivers will have to state whether they want to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register or defer a decision until a later date when they get their licence.

Ministers hope the DVLA scheme will boost the numbers of those willing to give vital body parts to help others live in the case of their own death.

Under the current system, applicants can skip over a question on donation when applying for a driving licence.

But the new regime will require that they opt to either register for donation, state that they have already signed up or state: “I do not wish to answer this question now.”

While the number of people on the register has increased dramatically in recent years, it cannot keep pace with an ever-increasing demand for transplants.

Public health minister Anne Milton said: “Being an organ donor is a trulyselfless act and a life saving gift to someone in need.

“Only 29 per cent of people in the UK have registered to donate organs, when we know 90 per cent of people in the UK have expressed interest in donating.

“We want to make it easier for people to sign up to the Organ Donor Register when they apply for their driving licence and encourage everyone to discuss their organ donation wishes with their loved ones.”

Research shows 96 per cent of people say they would accept an organ if needed but just 25 per cent across the North-West are on the register.

More than 1,000 — on average three a day — die every year before they receive an organ.

The Royal College of Physicians previously called for every adult in the UK to be legally required to decide whether to donate their organs, in an attempt to solve the massive shortage across the country.