- Bolton residents encouraged to register organ donation decision to help save more lives
- Since 2015, organ donations facilitated by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust have helped save 85 lives
- Organ Donation Week 2026 will see Royal Bolton Hospital light up pink
People in Bolton are being urged to register their decision to be an organ donor, as support for organ donation in the UK falls by almost a fifth over the past five years.
NHS Blood and Transplant are aiming to increase the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register from 29 million to 30 million by the end of 2026.
The challenge has been designed to tackle the number of declining family consent rates and ensure more lifesaving transplants can go ahead.
Organ donation is more likely to proceed when someone has recorded their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Last year, almost 90% of families supported donation when they knew their loved one had made their wishes clear.
Since 2015, organ donation referrals from Bolton NHS Foundation Trust have helped to save the lives of 85 people, with 39 people donating their organs.
Suzanne Lomax, Bereavement Nurse and Clinical Service Lead for Bereavement and Organ Donation, said:
“Many of us would be grateful for an organ transplant if we or someone we love ever needed one.
“Taking a couple of minutes to record your decision today could one day give another family hope when they need it most.”
Royal Bolton Hospital lights up pink
To mark Organ Donation Week 2026, which takes place from Monday 21 September to Sunday 27 September, the Main Entrance of Royal Bolton Hospital will be lit up in pink and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s bereavement team will be delivering packs to the hospital wards to encourage people to sign the NHS Organ Donor Register.
How John saved the lives of three men
Sue Walker, 50, from Warrington knew her husband, John, wanted to be an organ donor as he had recorded his decision on the Organ Donor Register and discussed it with his family many times – and when he died there was no hesitation in supporting John’s final decision to help give someone else a life when his tragically ended.
John died suddenly aged 48, in November 2025 following a pulmonary embolism. His liver and kidneys saved the lives of three men, aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Sue says donation was the pinnacle of his generosity – his final gift.
“John had had a brain scan and when the doctor came to see me, we hadn’t had the formal results, but he knew there was no activity and he was going to die.
“That’s when I was introduced to the Specialist Nurses. They were amazing. When they brought up the subject of organ donation, I immediately said ‘yes’. He wanted to be a donor. There’s no question. He was a real loving family man; a very generous man and we’d discussed organ donation so many times in our 18 years together – so who was I to deny him his final wish?”
People can register or update their organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donation website.
