Waiting for news that an organ is available for transplant can be a long and futile experience.
Although 30% of the UK population have now signed the organ donation register, and consent or authorisation for transplant after death is now at a high of 60%, there remains a waiting list of some 10,000 people needing life-saving transplant operations.
This week NICE suggested that doctors should consider improving donor identification and consent through specialist nurses raising the issue of organ donation with dying patients and their relatives in an open-ended and supportive manner. We will be reporting back on reactions to their suggestions.
For further information see NHSBT Organ Donation
