MEMBERS of black and minority ethnic communities are being encouraged to consider organ donation, ahead of National Transplant Week.

Currently, figures from NHS Blood and Transplant show that less than two per cent of South Asian and Black communities are on the organ donor register but they are three times more likely to need an organ transplant than the UK average.

And according to the figures, Black Minority Ethnic patients face twice as long a wait for a kidney transplant as other groups due to a lack of suitable organs.

Steve Henderson, the chaplain at the Great Western Hospital, is organising an event on July 25 at 3pm at the GWH to enable members of the public to learn more about organ donation.

The meeting, organised by the organ donation committee at GWH, of which Steve is a member, will discuss cultural and religious issues around organ donation.

He said: “We are trying to engage with the more hard to reach groups and explore the issues surrounding the subject.

“We aren’t sure what these are at the moment but we want to explore and make contact, and give them a chance to think.

“We want to have the conversation so we can understand, and have the chance to make sure that everybody has all the information so they can make a serious decision.We would like to see more people on the register.”

A transplant is much more likely to be successful if the donor and recipient have the same ethnic origin.

Steve emphasised the importance of people sharing their wishes with friends or loved ones if they do decide to join the organ donation register.

He said: “In the past people have carried a card to say they wish to donate their organs, but when they do pass away, their relatives don’t know anything about it and if they say no, we have to go with their decision.

“The strapline for National Transplant Week this year is ‘Pass It On’, to encourage people who have made the decision to actually make sure people know so if the worst happens, their family are aware.

“There is a lot of procrastination because we’re reticent about death – people think they don’t need to think about it or they put it off, but we want to encourage everyone of all ages and backgrounds to talk about it and make a decision.”

To join the organ donor register, visit www.organ donation.nhs.uk.