Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed the growing rate of support for organ donation.
In the 30th year of the NHS Organ Donor Register more than 1 million adults in the north have registered.
Last year ‘Dáithí’s Law,’ in recognition of seven year-old Dáithí Mac Gabhann who has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since 2018, came into effect.
Adults in the north are now considered potential donors unless they choose to opt in or opt out, or are in an excluded group.
Mr Nesbitt said: “Organ donation is a lifesaving gift, and with the number of people awaiting transplant exceeding the number of available organs, it is essential that we do everything we can to encourage and facilitate it.
“That means continuously educating and promoting informed conversation, as well as improving the infrastructure to support both living and deceased donation.”
| Region | Overall consent/authorisation rates for deceased donors in 2024 | Living donors per million of the population in 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 66% | 25.7 |
| Scotland | 61% | 15.6 |
| Wales | 56% | 14.7 |
| England | 60% | 10.3 |
