Organ donation: “Sharp decline” prompts urgent NHS action plan

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The NHS in the UK has launched an urgent action plan following a significant decline in organ donation rates, which are currently 11% lower than the previous year. Challenges include reduced eligible donors and dropping family consent rates, exacerbating the shortage amid a large pool of patients awaiting transplants.

The NHS has announced its first ever urgent response plan after a sharp decline in organ donation.1NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has called it “one of the most challenging periods for organ donation in over a decade.”Organ donations from people who have died are currently 11% below this time last year.Between 1 April 2026 and 13 September 2026 there were 591 deceased organ donors, down from 664 in the same period the year before, said NHSBT.There are currently 8691 people waiting for a transplant in the UK.NHSBT said that only 1% of people in the UK die in circumstances where donation is possible, and the pool of eligible donors has reduced by around 20% since 2019-20.Family consent rates fell from 67% in 2020-21 to 57% in 2025.2NHSBT said that over 700 potential donations did not go ahead between April 2021 and March 2026 because families did not know for certain...