Organ donation plunged by almost a third during pandemic

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Organ donations plunged by almost a third during the pandemic, according to new research.

There were 30 percent fewer in the first and second waves - with the number of eligible donors diving by the same amount.

In the hospital, deaths from heart attacks and strokes dropped by 17 and 12 percent respectively - scenarios frequently associated with donation.

Increasing numbers died in the community - people who might otherwise have been ideal donors.

Lead author Dr. Dan Harvey, of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said COVID-19 "impacted on organ donation and transplantation in the UK, as it has in many other countries."

He added: "The system showed a degree of resilience and ability to rapidly adapt to challenges to maintain services."

The study is based on national audit data from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) - the agency that oversees donation in the UK.

It found between March 11, 2020 and March 10, 2021 the total number of donations fell from 1,620 to 1,140 when compared with pre-pandemic levels.

There were also 4,282 eligible donors during the period - compared with 6,038 in the the previous year.

"It is a credit to the UK population, as well as to NHSBT, that public support for organ donation was maintained," Harvey said.

Even though absolute numbers were down, the proportion of eligible donors who proceeded to donation (27%) was unchanged.

"The relative proportion of eligible donors proceeding to donation and the relationship between retrieved organs and transplantations remained constant, suggesting a resilient organ donation and transplantation system despite unprecedented pressures placed on ICU and the wider healthcare system," Harvey said.

An analysis by NHSBT last year found almost 7,000 people were waiting for lifesaving transplants in the UK - the highest number since 2014.

Some key services closed during the first peak of the pandemic. But many were rapidly reinstated and overall 80 percent of transplants did take place.

"As organ donation organizations seek to recover from the pandemic in 2022 and beyond, further work is needed to continually assess the impact of COVID-19 on transplant programs worldwide to consider where further adaption can help to reduce its impact on transplantation rates and prepare for future challenges to the system," Harvey said.

At the peak of the Coronavirus crisis there were concerns about caring safely for people receiving transplants, as resources were diverted to other parts of the NHS.

Careful judgements had to be made around the risks and benefits of patients undergoing major surgery.

People awaiting transplants can have compromised immune systems, leaving them vulnerable to infections. As a result, some patients were taken off the transplant list.

Researchers say many transplant centers are still tackling the backlog of referrals and putting people back on waiting lists.

"Thanks to our amazing donors, we were able to facilitate nearly 4,400 transplants in 2021/22," NHSBT said.

"This is fantastic, but there is still lots to do. Last year over 420 people died while waiting for a transplant. Thousands of people in the UK are waiting for a transplant. Some will be matched to a suitable organ.

"Sadly, due to a shortage of donors, many won't. The more people who register to donate organs, the more lives we can save."

The study is published in the journal Anaesthesia.