Thirty-three patients have received life-saving or life changing transplants thanks to staff at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust who led sensitive conversations with relatives about organ donations.
In fact, the trust is one of the best performing for the quality of care in organ donation when compared to similar trusts.
Holly Waterman, a specialist organ donation and transplant nurse, said: “This is a fantastic achievement by our dedicated staff. The more people who pledge to donate their organs after their death the more people stand to benefit from organ donation. There are 23 people currently on the waiting list in our area who need a lifesaving organ transplant.
“They need people to say yes to organ donation, so they can get the organ they desperately need. Organ donation is one of the greatest gifts one person can give to another.”
Holly added: “The statistics from 2017/18 show that we have excelled ourselves in this sensitive issue. From 20 consented donors* we facilitated nine actual solid organ donors. When compared nationally our referral ratio and the involvement of specialist nurses was described as ‘exceptional’.”
Thanks to a donation by the trust’s organ donation committee the doors of the main lifts at Watford General Hospital have a new appearance. The ‘lift wraps’ urge patients, visitors and staff to save a life by registering to be an organ donor while waiting for the lift.
Fiona Loud, chair of the trust’s organ donation committee, who is also a recipient of a donated kidney, said: “The trusts’ results show how collaboration between staff across the trust leads to successful donation. We would like to thank all the staff and all the families in Hertfordshire who have helped by donating organs to save lives.
“As the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday this year we are asking people to consider giving the NHS a special birthday present by signing up to the organ donor register.”
For more, go to https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk or you can call 0300 123 23 23
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