MORE than 160 adults and children across the Bradford district are awaiting lifesaving transplants, latest data reveals.

And to coincide with the release of the figures, a leading doctor has issued a plea for people to register their organ donation wishes.

Dr James Morgan spoke as national Organ Donation Week, raising awareness of the issue, was launched.

"One donor has the potential to save nine lives – which is an incredible legacy to leave," says Dr Morgan, a clinical lead for organ donation and intensive care consultant.

"I would urge people throughout the district to sit down and talk about organ donation with their families and loved ones, so that your wishes are clear.

"Not having discussed organ donation during life is a common reason for families being uncertain about proceeding if the time comes. This results in many missed opportunities to honour people's wishes and save and change lives for the better. It is vital that everyone who wants to be a donor registers their decision and talks it through with their families.

"If you would like to help others by donating your organs after death, please prove it and register today."

Currently, 162 people in the BD postcode area are on the waiting list for a transplant.

Karen Piotr chairs an organ donation committee at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Her late husband, Mark, donated his organs after he died following a brain bleed.

She says: "In our trust alone, 145 patients are currently waiting for a kidney transplant. And between 2022 and this year, four people from the district died waiting for the donor organ that never came, which is a tragedy for our patients and their families.

"In the same period, 64 people in the district received the gift of life, while ten donations occurred due to the generosity of people who died.

"In Bradford district we see the huge benefits that organ donation can bring, so please, talk to your family and leave them certain about your wishes."

Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, says: "We’re urging everyone to confirm their support for organ donation on the register.

"Families will still always be consulted before donation goes ahead, and we know that nine out of ten families will agree to support it if their loved one has confirmed their decision."

For more details, visit organdonation.nhs.uk.