A campaign led by The Mirror to advocate for changes in organ donation laws has resulted in a notable increase in donors from ethnic minority backgrounds. The initiative prompted the passing of a new organ donor law by Parliament in 2019, which officially came into effect in 2020. Subsequently, there has been a positive surge in registrations from ethnic minority groups on the NHS organ donor register over the past five years.
Data shows that the percentage of registered individuals from ethnic minorities rose from just over seven percent in 2018/19 to more than 11 percent in 2023/24. A patient who underwent a year-long wait for a transplant shared his story to encourage people from black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities to consider becoming organ donors. Jitendra Desai, a 73-year-old kidney recipient, expressed gratitude for receiving a transplant after enduring frequent dialysis sessions.
In the UK, there are currently 8,000 individuals on the urgent transplant waiting list, with approximately 2,300 of them coming from ethnic minority backgrounds. Desai, a long-time resident of Middlesbrough, emphasized the importance of organ donation and highlighted the need for increased participation from diverse communities.
Health officials stress the necessity of more individuals from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds joining the organ donor list. In 2023/24, over 1,200 patients from these communities received life-saving transplants, with the majority of organs sourced from white donors.
Desai, reflecting on his own experience, regrets not registering as a donor earlier and encourages open discussions within communities about organ donation. Medical professionals, like Dr. David Reaich from James Cook Hospital, advocate for broader outreach to diverse communities to ensure a balance between organ donations and transplant recipients.
The successful implementation of an ‘opt-out’ system in England was attributed to the efforts of the families of Max Johnson and Keira Ball. Max, a resident of Winsford, Cheshire, received a heart transplant from nine-year-old Keira, who tragically passed away in a car accident. As a tribute to their story, the new legislation was named Max and Keira’s Law after a sustained campaign by The Mirror.
The ‘opt-out’ policy implies that adults are presumed to consent to organ donation unless they explicitly choose to opt out. To learn more about organ donation, individuals can visit the official NHS organ donation website.