Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) has doubled the number of life-changing transplants from organ donors performed in our hospitals. Twenty-one patients had organ transplants in 2008/09, compared to 10 in the previous year.
This number exceeds the 50% increase target set by the National Organ Donation Taskforce, which is publishing its Annual Report today. The Taskforce has made a series of recommendations designed to address the obstacles to organ donation throughout the UK. The aim of these recommendations is to increase transplant rates by at least 50% by 2013 and to increase the number of people signed up to the Organ Donor Register from 16 million to 25 million.
To help in the achievement of these aims, BSUH, which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, The Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath and the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, has appointed Intensive Care Consultant Dr Stephen Drage as Clinical Lead for Organ Donation, as well as two Donor Care Specialist Nurses.
The hospital Trust has also established an Organ Donation Committee, chaired by Brighton resident and medical journalist Barbara Myers.
“We want to give all our patients the opportunity to help others after their death through organ and tissue donation, and to make discussions about organ donation a usual part of our care of all dying patients,” explains Dr Drage.
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