Numbers are not Good

If you are reading this you are passionate about organ donation and you would have taken a keen interest in the latest numbers released by the OTA.

Despite a massive tax payer funded advertising campaign and hundreds of thousands of dollars given to professional sporting clubs, the Great Registration Race reached only 60% of the stated target the OTA set for the campaign.

Registration in Australia fell by 40%

Nationally Next of Kin Consent rates fell to just 54% and even the rate of families of registered donors saying yes fell from 9 in 10 to just 8 in 10.

On a bright note NSW Next of Kin Consent rates went up by 2% to be 55% last year v 53% in 2021.

The latest DonateLife numbers show a slight increase in actual transplants but the worrying trend continues to be the decline in next of kin consent rates. In all states except NSW and Tasmania the % of families saying YES when asked fell. 

Around Australia there were 150 more potential donors in 2022 but only 33 more actual donations.

Multiplied by 5 for lives saved by each potential donor that equates to nearly 585 people who didn’t receive a lifesaving transplant! When will the OTA realise #nextofkinconsent needs to be a greater focus of their efforts and not giving money to professional sporting clubs and sporting events that have no impact on saving lives? 

I am sure the Friends Group will be gathering in Parliament soon and the OTA will spin the numbers to be positive. The trend is disturbing. It is not because of COVID. Other countries have set amazing post COVID records for all donation rates.

Ignoring the vital importance of Education and Communication around next of kin consent and blaming COVID can not continue. 

As a forever grateful recipient and passionate advocate for Organ and Tissue Donation I have campaigned pro bono for 13 months since my lifesaving transplant. I know how lucky I was to have everything go miraculously right after it had all started going catastrophically wrong.

My message since starting my advocacy has remained consistent.

Legislation, Education & Communications all need reform. 

I have been vocal every day of the last 400 days. I will continue to point to the numbers that show worrying trends glossed over by bureaucrats to convince people that they are doing their job.  People are dying and money wasted. I am a keen and will forever remain a constituent of The Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Community