NHS announces urgent response following sharp decline in organ donation
Published on 21/09/2026
The NHS has announced its first-ever urgent response for organ donation, following a sharp decline in the number of donors and family consent rates, while the transplant waiting list sits at its highest ever level.
This Organ Donation Week, the public are being urged to take action and register as organ donors on the NHS Organ Donor register to halt a rapid decline in donation which has seen the organ transplant waiting list increase beyond record levels with nine people dying every week.
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has today announced, for the first time, an urgent response plan to address a significant and accelerating decline in organ donation and transplantation across the UK.
Deceased donation rates have declined sharply in recent months and are currently trending at 9% below this time last year. Meanwhile, the UK transplant waiting list continues to rise, with over 8,700 people currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant.
New figures released today, reveal that over 700 potential donations did not go ahead in the period between April 2021 and March 2026, because families did not know for certain what their loved one would have wanted. On average, each deceased donor will donate three organs, resulting in around 2,127 missed opportunities for transplant.
Only 1% of people in the UK die in circumstances where donation is possible and the pool of eligible donors has reduced by around 20% since 2019/20.
At the same time, family consent rates have dropped from 67% in 2020/21 to 57% last year, resulting in hundreds of missed opportunities for transplants. Families support donation 90% of the time when they know their loved one’s decision, but this falls to around 50% when no decision is known. Donation cannot proceed without family support, making recorded decisions critical.
NHSBT is calling on one million people who have never registered before, to confirm their organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register this year. Confirming a decision takes two minutes and can help ensure families know exactly what their loved one wanted at the end of life.
In the Midlands over 1,500 people are waiting right now for a transplant, with over 700 deaths in the past decade alone.
Dr Peter Hewins, Medical Director at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, home to the leading Edmonds Transplant Centre, said: “These figures should concern all of us. Across the Midlands, 1,621 people are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant, and around 700 people have died while waiting over the last decade. Behind every one of those statistics is a person hoping for more time, more memories and a chance to live a fuller life.
“We are seeing growing demand for transplantation at the same time as organ donation is becoming more challenging. The reality is that many of the people currently waiting for a transplant will only receive one because another person made the decision to donate and, crucially, shared that decision with their family.
“Organ donation transforms lives every day. Taking two minutes to register your decision and talking to your loved ones about your wishes could one day save someone's life. We would urge everyone to have that conversation.”
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are facing one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in over a decade. The sharp decline in donors and the rising number of people waiting for a transplant need urgent action.
“We have already adapted significantly to changes in the donation environment. But. Saving lives and reducing the waiting list needs collective effort across the NHS and society.
“There is a simple action the public can take to help save lives. Please sign the NHS Organ Donor Register. Most of us would accept an organ if we needed one but opportunities to save lives are being lost because families didn’t know what their loved ones wanted. Leave them certain.
“It takes two minutes to confirm an organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Each donor can potentially save up to nine lives.”
This is the first time the NHS has needed to implement an urgent response plan for organ donation. It is quick and easy to register your donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Please see the contact number and website below for more information.
