Rebecca recently attended the NHS Blood & Transplant's (NHSBT) Parliamentary event on organ donation.
The event provided the opportunity to discuss the impact of organ donation and transplantation, hear from those with lived experience, and explore how we can work together to help save and improve more lives.
The NHS Organ Donor Register is a confidential record of people's organ donation decisions. It records your choice whether to become an organ donor or not when you die.
Demand for organ transplants continues to outstrip supply. As of 10 August 2026, 13 people are waiting for a transplant in Castle Point. During 2025/26, eight residents received a life-saving transplant.
As of 31 March 2026, 8,296 patients, including 241 children, were on the active transplant waiting list across the UK, the highest number on record.
Rebecca learnt of a new report by NHSBT, which revealed that family support for organ donation has fallen from 69% in 2020/21 to 57% in 2025/26, despite strong public support for donation. Evidence shows that when someone has recorded a donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, families support donation in almost 90% of cases. This falls to below 50% when families are unaware of their loved one's wishes.
To help address this, NHS Blood and Transplant has launched its new One in a Million campaign, with the ambition of encouraging one million additional people to register their organ donation decision and helping reach 30 million registrations by the start of 2027.
Organ donation will only go ahead with the support of the family, and clinicians will never proceed with organ donation if the family or loved ones object.
Rebecca wants to encourage residents to register their organ donation decision on the organ donor register and to discuss it with their families so that loved ones are better informed about their wishes.
After the event, Rebecca said: "Thank you to NHS Blood & Transport for all the work you do educating people on organ donation and the importance of registering the decision.
"Knowing that we have residents waiting for a transplant right now in Castle Point means it is vital that as many of us as possible register our wishes on the donor register. This will give individuals in need the best possible chance of finding a match for an organ which could save their life."
More information can be found at the NHSBT website here: www.organdonation.nhs.uk/about-organ-donation/nhs-organ-donor-register/
