The Operating Theatre Journal - Journal - Page 14
Proportion of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic
communities registering to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register is
on the rise, but there’s still a need for families to support donation.
A new report published recently by NHS Blood and Transplant shows
that an increased proportion of potential organ donors of Black and
Asian heritage are showing their support by registering their decision to
be a donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register, but the number of actual
deceased donors fell last year (2022/23).
Latest 昀椀gures published in NHS Blood and Transplant’s Annual Report
on Ethnicity Differences in Organ Donation and Transplantation show
that in 2022/23, people of Asian heritage represented 4% of deceased
donors but 15% of deceased donor transplants and 19% of the transplant
waiting list; while those of Black heritage represented 2% of deceased
donors but 9% of deceased donor transplants and 11% of the waiting list,
similar to 昀椀gures from the previous year. There was also an increase of
6% of living donors.
The report also highlights a considerable rise in the proportion of optin registrations from ethnic minority groups on the NHS Organ Donor
Register (ODR) over the past 昀椀ve years. In 2018/19, 7.1% of people who
registered in support of organ donation and declared their ethnicity
were from ethnic minorities, a 昀椀gure that rose to 11.7% in 2022/23.
Kal Sandhu is a 52-year-old dad of two from Brecon
in Wales and is encouraging people of all ethnicities
to declare their decision on the NHS Organ Donor
Register as he waits for a heart transplant.
“Being on the transplant
list brings uncertainty that
permeates every aspect of your
life,” said Kal.
“We’ve had conversations with our daughters who have watched their
active dad slowly do less and less. As a family we’re stuck in this limbo,
teetering between grief and hope. Because of Kal’s antibody levels
from prior treatments, we were informed there’s only a 10% chance of
him receiving a donor heart, so whilst we had hope again, it was very
tempered. Thankfully Kal is remarkable in how he copes day to day,
and he even manages to use humour to get us all through the tough
times”.
Kal remains optimistic that he will get the call for his transplant and
is dedicated to raising awareness of organ donation, especially among
individuals of his faith. He believes that organ donation aligns with his
Sikh faith as it offers the opportunity to save the lives of others.
He remarks, “I’m still here, and there’s still hope.”
While the rise in opt in registrations from ethnic minorities is promising,
there remains a pressing need for people from these communities to
support the decision of their loved one to become an organ donor.
The latest 昀椀gures reveal that deceased organ donations among ethnic
minority groups still remains far lower than those from the white
population.
Overall consent/authorisation rates were 39% for Black, Asian and
other Minority Ethnic donors last year, compared to 70% for white
potential donors, similar to rates for the previous year. The main
reasons families from ethnic minority backgrounds gave for declining
consent/authorisation for organ donation were that they felt it was
against their religious or cultural beliefs or they were unsure whether
the patient would have agreed to donation.
“It’s dif昀椀cult to plan. Taking
time to go away to re-group is
problematic because I would be
suspended from the list, and I
could miss an organ offer while
we are away.”
Kal, who is originally from
Wolverhampton, was born with
a rare heart condition and has
needed ongoing surgeries and
treatment throughout his life to
help him live a full life, which
includes a successful legal
career in London and marrying
his wife Ros and bringing up his
daughters, Milly, 21 and Joti, 15.
To manage his acute heart failure, and effectively buy him time whilst
he waits for a transplant, Kal has been receiving an IV infusion at the
University Hospital Wales in Cardiff every three weeks. Unfortunately,
Kal’s health has deteriorated in the last few months and in September
he was placed on the urgent list for a heart transplant. Kal’s wife Ros
said;
There is an urgent need for more families to support organ donation,
as the number of patients from all backgrounds waiting for transplants
continues to rise rapidly. This includes a large rise in the numbers of
people actively waiting for kidneys, where a match is more likely to be
found when donors are of the same ethnicity.
Kal in helicopter
One of those waiting for kidney transplant is
38-year-old Vanessa Francis from Gloucester who
was diagnosed with lupus when she was 12 yearsold. After contracting COVID-19 in 2021 her kidney
function dropped so much that she required
dialysis and was put on the transplant waiting list.
Vanessa said,
“I go for dialysis three times a
week, but still manage to work
and take part in a semi-normal
life, but because I am Black British
Caribbean, I know I will have a long
wait to get the right kidney match.”
Vanessa has faced challenges
while waiting for a suitable kidney,
acknowledging potential disparities
for people from ethnic minorities in
organ transplant waiting times. But
that hasn’t stopped her reminding
people of the importance of
con昀椀rming their support for organ
donation on the NHS Organ Donor
Register.
Kal with Ros and daughters
14
Vanessa
“If people get diagnosed tomorrow or are in a position where they need
an organ transplant and are asked if they would take an organ from
somebody else, if the answer is yes, then that means they themselves
should also be willing to give,” Vanessa continued.
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