Body Art Delivers Hard-Hitting Message About Shortage Of Donated Organs, UK

Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Article Date: 08 Feb 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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The shortage of donated organs for transplants is to be highlighted in a national press advertising campaign featuring eye-catching body art.

The images feature a male and female model with a picture of a heart painted on their bodies under the message: 'You've got what it takes to save a life'.

While the heart symbolises kindness and giving, the underlying message focuses on the need for all types of organ transplant which rely mainly on the generosity of an anonymous stranger to offer the gift of life. As well as the heart, people can agree to donate their kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and tissue for transplantation.

The advertisements will appear in national newspapers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from this week to encourage more people to join the 15 million already on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).

"These are strong images that challenge us to think about what we want to happen after our death. Currently, 1,000 people die every year because they do not get the transplant they need," said Chris Rudge, UK Transplant's Managing and Transplant Director.

Last year, for the first time, more than 3,000 organ transplants took place in the UK, but more than 9,000 people currently need a transplant to save or transform their lives.

The campaign follows the recent publication of the Organ Donation Taskforce report which highlighted that the UK has one of the lowest donor rates in Europe.

The Taskforce made 14 recommendations focused on achieving a 50% increase in organ donation after death within five years - resulting in an additional 1,200 transplants each year.

Health Minister Ann Keen said: "The recent publication of the Organ Donation Taskforce report signals the beginning of a new era for donation and transplant services across the UK.

"It presents the opportunity to save hundreds more lives each year. However, carrying out more transplants relies on more of us being willing to donate.

"There is a great deal of support for organ donation and this campaign aims to motivate people into taking action to express that support. The more people who join the NHS Organ Donor Register, the more lives can be saved."

Chris Rudge added: "The publication of the Taskforce report and the Prime Minister's call for a public debate surrounding the issue of presumed consent have helped to focus public attention on the need for more donated organs.

"We know from research that most people in the UK support organ donation but only 24% of us have taken that next vital step of joining the ODR. I hope these powerful images prompt more people to do so and discuss their wishes with their family."

The campaign will also appear in publications aimed at black and Asian readerships to highlight the particular need for more organ donors from these ethnic backgrounds.

People can find out about organ donation and transplantation, including joining the ODR, by calling the 24-hour Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400, or by visiting http://www.uktransplant.org.uk.

Notes

1. The hearts on the male and female models featured in the advertisements were created by renowned body art artist Sarah Bee.

2. The NHS Organ Donor Register is a confidential database operated by UK Transplant that contains the names of 15 million individuals who wish to pass on the gift of life through organ donation after their death. This figure represents more than 24% of the UK population.

3. The register can be accessed by authorised medical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to establish an individual's wishes for donation. It is only consulted after someone has died.

4. In September 2007, Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, asked the Organ Donation Taskforce to examine the range of issues involved in a system of presumed consent taking into account the views of the public and stakeholders on the clinical, ethical, legal and societal issues. Expert Working Groups have been established to advise on these areas and the Taskforce has been asked to report back to the DH during the summer of 2008. Further information about its work can be found here.

5. The Human Tissue Act 2004 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 makes clear that the wishes of the deceased must be put first and where an individual has expressed a wish to donate by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register, carrying a donor card or verbally or in writing to a friend or family member, NHS staff will do all they can to ensure those wishes are fulfilled.

6. UK Transplant is the NHS organisation responsible for matching and allocating donated organs. It is part of NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), a Special Health Authority within the NHS that manages the National Blood Service, Bio Products Laboratory, and UK Transplant.

UK Transplant