In a bid to help the 600 Scots who are desperately waiting on a life-saving transplant, Edinburgh Rugby is urging fans to have a chat about organ donation and sign-up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.
With the team set to take on Ulster at Murrayfield later today, rugby fans are going to be encouraged to think about organ donation when the Scottish Government’s 40-date roadshow visits the national stadium.
Staff will be on hand to answer questions on organ donation and chat to fans at the match.
Speaking about the team’s support for the nationwide campaign, Edinburgh Rugby managing director, Craig Docherty, said: “As a club we pride ourselves in being at the centre of the community and we want to do more to help increase the number of people in Edinburgh on the NHS Organ Donor Register.
“Hundreds of people across the country are waiting on a transplant and they could be helped if more people registered as organ donors. The whole club is very proud to support the organ donation campaign. It really can save lives.”
NHS Lothian has recently reached an organ donation high with almost half the community now signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.The health board now boasts the highest percentage of sign-ups in the country, with 48 percent of big-hearted Scots from the region registering their wish to become an organ donor.
Dr Richard Williams, chair of NHS Lothian’s organ donation committee, said: -“We are thrilled to see that NHS Lothian continues to have the highest percentage of our population on the NHS Organ Donor Register in Scotland.We strive to increase the number of people signing up to the Register, and were overwhelmed to have more than 29,000 Lothian residents join the register in the past year.
“It’s great to see that 48% of Lothian’s population are now signed up, however we want to further increase that figure. We know that people in Lothian are caring and generous, and these figures prove just that.”
Professor John Forsythe, Scotland’s lead clinician for organ donation and transplantation and consultant transplant surgeon at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, said:- “Boosting the numbers on the NHS Organ Donor Register is vital to prevent three people dying every day while waiting on a transplant. These latest sign up figures give more hope to those waiting that they will get the transplant they desperately need.
“It is important to get people talking about this topic as the more people who add their name to the register, the better chance we have of saving lives.”
Join the NHS Organ Donor Register – www.organdonationscotland.org or text LIFE to 61611. It only takes a few minutes but could mean the difference between life and death for those waiting for a transplant.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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