Organs: Donors

The Government is committed to increasing the number of living organ donations, including non‑direct altruistic donations (NDAD). NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the organisation responsible for organ donation services across the United Kingdom, is responsible for promoting organ donation in England and Wales. The Northern Ireland and Scottish Governments are responsible for this in their jurisdictions, but messaging is complementary across the UK.

NHSBT undertakes a wide range of activity to promote living donation in England and Wales. Current activity includes:

• providing information for prospective donors through the NHS Organ Donation website, including guidance on NDAD and how donations contribute to the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme, which matches donors and recipients across the UK, with further information on both available, respectively, at the following two links:
  https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/become-a-living-donor/donating-your-kidney/donating-a-kidney-to-someone-you-do-not-know/
  https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/become-a-living-donor/donating-your-kidney/uk-living-kidney-sharing-scheme/;

• sharing real-life living donor stories across NHSBT channels, including social media and the digital donor magazine, to highlight the impact and importance of living donation and to encourage people to learn more about NDAD;

• raising awareness of living donation through national and regional media throughout the year, including a BBC Breakfast interview highlighting the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme and coverage of a nurse who donated a kidney to a stranger through the scheme in May 2026, and a Telegraph feature on altruistic donation in January 2026; and

• community engagement via the Organ Donation Ambassador Programme, partnerships with stakeholder organisations, such as Robert Dangoor Partnership, and National Health Service trusts, and the Community Grants Programme, which funds organisations to engage, educate, and recruit potential donors, particularly within Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Further information on the Community Grants Programme is available at the following link:
  https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/how-you-can-help/get-involved/community-grants-programme/.