A student-led programme to raise awareness of organ donation

摘要

Organ transplantation is described as 'medicine of the twenty-first century' and remains the most effective long-term treatment for end-stage kidney, liver, heart and lung failure. As the demand for solid organ transplants increases on an annual basis, the number of potential donors has failed to keep up with demand and has remained constant over the last decade. Moreover, 400 people die every year in the UK while waiting for a kidney transplantation because of the shortage of donor organs. The role of doctors in the organ procurement process is crucial because they often establish initial contact with the next of kin, with whom the option of organ donation has to be discussed. Nevertheless, a significant number of potential donors are missed because doctors do not consider or approach the next of kin about the possibility of solid organ donation. Insufficient knowledge and awareness of the process of organ donation and transplantation among medical professionals have been identified as barriers to maximising rates of organ donation.