NHS staff are raising awareness of living kidney donations and encouraging people to join the donor register.

Tayside transplant coordinator Irene Russell says that “there are many myths and misunderstandings around living donation”.

In Scotland there are almost 600 people waiting for a transplant and due to a shortage of donors some of them will die waiting for one.

One organ donor can improve the lives of up to nine people and transform even more by donating tissue.

Living kidney donation allows individuals to save even more lives, however.

Ms Russell explains there are fewer restrictions on donation than people might realise:

“People may think they are too old but there is no upper age limit for a live donation and all major religions support living kidney donation. 

“If it turns out that the donor and recipient are not a match, the donor can then be entered into the UK kidney sharing scheme to find a match.”

The Abbey GP practice in Arbroath is supporting awareness raising by showing an animated film about organ donation on screens in the practice.

“Raising public awareness of living donation is vital and I am pleased that the Abbey Practice is supporting this,” Ms Russell added.

“The short video sensitively and clearly explains living donation.  It is so important to get the message and information about living donation out there and GP Practices seem an ideal place to start.”

A living kidney donation is the best and most effective treatment for all patients with end stage kidney disease who are eligible for transplant.

If the transplant is carried out before the recipient needs dialysis there is significant survival benefit and improved health outcomes.

About a third of all transplants are from living donors but the willingness to discuss it and awareness of the benefits of living donation can vary across Scotland.

Eligible patients for a kidney transplant can be added to the deceased donor waiting list but the average wait for a call is two years.

The wait for a transplant and the impact of multiple dialysis sessions can result in patients experiencing increased psychological and financial burden as they may have to rearrange their work or in some cases they have to stop working. A living kidney donation can happen much sooner if a suitable living donor is found.

Jen Lumsdaine from Living Donation Scotland said: “We are delighted that Abbey Practice is leading the way with this initiative. Living donor kidney transplantation is the best option for many patients with kidney failure, and often it is the GP surgery that is the first point of contact. We hope that other surgeries can also use our resources.”

Scottish organ donation law is changing from autumn 2020, meaning that if people have not confirmed whether they want to be an organ donor, it may be assumed they are willing to donate their organs or tissue when they die.

“Many people think they would be unsuitable to donate organs and tissues because of medical history or lifestyle choices,” added Ms Russell.

“…But each potential donor is individually assessed and we need people from all ethnicities and backgrounds to register.

“Everyone is encouraged to sign up to the organ donor register regardless of their ethnicity, body shape, size or medical history. Through one organ donor, up to nine lives can be changed and many more if tissue is donated.

“All the major organs including kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas and the small bowel can be transplanted. Last year, organ donation changed the lives of 440 people in Scotland.

“Joining the organ donor register takes about two minutes but those two minutes could quite literally save a life.”