Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to maximise organ donation in (a) England and (b) Northern Ireland.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is focusing on encouraging people across the United Kingdom to register their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register to increase the number of donor organs available and help to save lives across the UK. Approximately nine in 10 families support organ donation going ahead when they know it is what their loved one wanted. Across the year NHSBT will deliver various activities to encourage people to register. This includes activities across its existing channels, through the media and via strategic partnerships such as the ongoing partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. These are all utilised particularly at key times such as Organ Donation Week in September.

In Northern Ireland, following the passing of the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Act, NHSBT nursing teams will continue to support families of potential organ donors and work alongside clinical teams to ensure the effective implementation of this. Organ donation is a devolved policy, but NHSBT has a UK wide remit.