Portsmouth GP praises people signed up to donor register

The national Organ Donor Register has saved more than 1,200 lives in Hampshire, new figures have shown.

Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows 1,257 people in Hampshire are alive thanks to the register and the number of people in the county to join the list has increased by 27 per cent over the past five years.

There are now 715,271 people on the register in the county, compared with 563,923 five years ago. This includes 73,439 people in Portsmouth, compared with 60,110 five years ago.

Dr Elizabeth Fellow chairs Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group’s governing board and is signed up on the register.

She said: ‘Clearly the register is a huge success story, but we could all play a part in both improving the statistics of those people registered – and also bringing down the figures of those people who die while awaiting a transplant.

‘We can transform up to nine people’s lives by donating our organs when we die and help even more by donating tissue.’

Dr Paul Howden, the deputy clinical lead for Fareham and Gosport CCG, who is also on the register and a blood donor, agreed and praised people on the register.

He said: ‘What greater gift can we bestow on others? Organ donation is literally a gift of life.

‘The fact that more than 1,200 people in Hampshire are alive today thanks to the register is obviously a fantastic thing. But so much more could be achieved if only more of us signed up to the programme, and let our loved-ones know our wishes.’

To sign up visit organdonation.nhs.uk.