NHS Blood and Transport calls for more ethnic minority organ donors

NHS Blood and Transport has called for more organ donations from ethnic minority communities, after figures have revealed a shortage of transport organs for black and Asian people in the UK.

Data shows that less than a third of black and Asian families allowed a deceased relative's organs to be used, compared with two-thirds of white families. Meanwhile, over 1,300 people died waiting for a transplant in the UK in 2015.

Although people from ethnic minorities can receive organs from white donors, the closer the match of ethnicity, the better the chances the organ receiver has of survival.

According to the Organ Donation and Transplantation Activity Report 2015-16: more organ transplants across UK than ever before in 2015-16; 1,364 people became organ donors when they died and their donations resulted in 3,519 transplants taking place; donation consent rate increased to 62 per cent (the target is 80 per cent by 2020); 26 per cent of the current waiting list are people from black or Asian communities and need donors from their own community; in 2015-16, the consent rate for potential donors from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities was almost half that of white patients - 34 per cent compared with 66 per cent; and five per cent of all deceased organ donors were from black and Asian backgrounds

Sally Johnson, of NHS Blood and Transplant, explained: "It is especially important for people from our black and Asian communities to talk about organ donation.

"I realise that this is a very difficult subject, but there are many black and Asian people who need a transplant. While some are able to receive an organ from a white donor, others will die if there is no donor from their own community."