If you could save a life… would you?
Last year alone, 32 people donated their organs after death at our hospitals , following support and guidance from staff, leading to 85 life-saving or improving transplants and 10 cornea donations. This puts us second in London for the largest contributions to organ donation.
But the need is greater than ever. At the end of the financial year, more than 8,000 people were waiting for a transplant — the highest number on record. Across London, only 32% of people are registered donors , compared with 42% nationally , and consent rates remain lower among families from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Every day, someone in the UK dies waiting for an organ transplant.
At Barts Health, colleagues have experienced both sides of the organ donor journey — giving the gift of life and receiving it.
For Andy Small, programme manager, the decision to donate a kidney to his wife’s cousin “just made sense.”
“The cost to me was pretty low — the benefit to him, his wife, and kids, enormous.
“It’s like walking past a burning building: if someone’s inside, you try to help. In this case, it’s slower moving and with more medical care, but the principle is the same.”
He adds that one of the most moving moments wasn’t his own experience, but seeing the relief in his wife’s family.
“The biggest impact was on those around us. His mother was enormously grateful. It wasn’t just about saving his life — it was about giving hope back to his family.”
For Elizabeth Silva, Surgical Site Infection Audit Clerk, a transplant was the only way to escape the limitations of dialysis after years of living with polycystic kidney disease.
“Before the transplant I was constantly tired and in pain. Even walking my daughter to school, I’d often need to stop and rest.”
She remembers the moment she got the call that a kidney had become available: leaving work in a blur, rushing to the hospital, and waking up after surgery.
“It was life-changing,” she says. “I was able to travel again, see my family in Portugal and Algeria, and most of all, watch my daughter grow up. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to my donor and his family.”
Elizabeth also highlights the importance of tackling cultural misconceptions:
“As a Muslim, I know some people believe organ donation isn’t allowed. But that’s a misconception — and it’s so important to make an informed decision. Talk to your religious leader, they will guide you.”
She encourages everyone to have conversations about organ donation early on, rather than leaving it until a crisis.
“When we die, we don’t need our organs, but they can transform someone else’s life. These conversations shouldn’t wait until the bedside — they should happen now.”
As NHS staff we can help families and communities feel confident about donation — and the most powerful way to achieve this is to lead by example.