bulletin UK Transplant - Organ Donation

FEATURESHow do we getNine out of every ten people inthe UK support organ donation inprinciple. The overwhelmingsupport is revealed in anationwide survey for UKTransplant.Yet less than one in six people – 17%of the UK population – has registeredtheir wishes on the NHS Organ DonorRegister (ODR).Ninety-two per cent of people whotold researchers they supported, orwere unsure about organ donation,favoured the existence of a centralregister. But 36% of them wereunaware the ODR existed; 26% hadnever thought about joining; 17%“hadn’t got round to” registering and10% didn’t know how to join.The survey was commissioned in a bidto identify the key barriers to joiningthe ODR and the key messages andtriggers which might encouragesupporters to discuss their wishes withthe families and add their names tothe ODR.The Government has set UKT thetarget of increasing the number ofpeople on the register to 16 million by2010. The results of the survey will beused to inform the future direction ofcampaign and publicity work.One in 20 (5%) of people whosupported organ donation but werenot on the ODR said they feltuncomfortable thinking about, letalone discussing, their death. Onlyone in 25 (4%) of the peoplequestioned said they were opposed toorgan donation.Sue Sutherland, Chief Executive ofUKT said: “This is an overwhelmingvote of support for organ donationand transplantation – it gives us faithin each other and hope to thethousands of people waiting for atransplant.”The survey was carried out by RBA ofThere needs to be a catalyst for families to talk about organ donationLeeds. Researchers held groupdiscussions in Bristol, Birminghamand Newcastle and two interactivemarketing sessions with year 12students at schools in Bradford andLeeds. Telephone interviews wereconducted with 1,206 people acrossEngland between 13 January and 12February 2003 to get the view of awide cross section of the community.The qualitative research involved ninefocus groups, two with peoplealready on the ODR; two with peoplewho supported organ donation buthad not registered; two with peoplewho did not support organ donationand three family groups. Resultswere weighted by age, gender,working status and geographicallocation.UKT is commissioning research in theNHS, to be carried out in theTALKING ABOUTORGAN DONATIONWITHIN THE FAMILY• Not something that comes up ineveryday conversation• Must be a catalyst for discussion,eg TV programme, somethinghappened at school, death in thefamily• Parents likely to avoid subject toprotect children from anxiety• Children a lot more open mindedand more comfortable aboutdiscussing and learning aboutdeath and organ donation• Children influenced by theirparents• Mother most influential butwants children to make theirown decision10Bulletin Summer 2003