NGH’s Organ and Tissue Donation Committee wins national award

Northampton General Hospital’s Organ and Tissue Donation Committee has won a national award for its outstanding work promoting and educating people about the importance of donation.

It has won the Exceptional Organ Donation Committee category of the UK Awards for Excellence organised by NHS Blood and Transplant.

The NGH team were nominated by colleagues from the South-Central Organ Donation region from NHS Blood & Transplant.

Part of the NGH nomination reads: “I would like to nominate Northampton General Hospital’s Organ and Tissue Donation Committee for this award.

“The Committee has consistently delivered excellence in all four categories of performance, policy, education, and promotion, for many years. It is cohesive, inclusive and organised.

“Supported by the Clinical Lead for Organ Donation, Dr Rachel Miller, and Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation, Hayley Timms, as well as lay volunteers and Trust employees, all playing their part to make this Committee the fantastic Committee it is.”

The nomination mentions how NGH has:

• Achieved a royal seal of approval with HRH Duke of Gloucester opening the donor memorial statue at the entrance to NGH during Organ Donation Week
• Promoted organ donation with the support of comedian, author, and former doctor, Adam Kay who mentioned it during his Derngate Theatre show during Organ Donation Week in October last year
• Promoted donation at ParkRuns with runners sporting their pink organ donation sweat bands
• Distributed organ donation Christmas present tags to encourage people to specify their wishes on donation
• Working with St John Ambulance volunteers to promote donation in the local community.

The nomination also says: “The Committee is chaired by Peter Martin, who is a retired hospital pathology services manager. His drive and enthusiasm has helped shape a fantastic functioning team that supports both organ and tissue donation in equal measures.

“Alongside the Committee the multi-disciplinary staff have embraced organ donation across the Trust, supporting families to donate forming a guard of honour as a patient left the unit to move to theatres for organ donation. A moment that represents the pride with which organ donation is supported culturally within the Trust”.

Peter said: “We are really pleased to have been recognised for this prestigious award. It is a great honour and reflects the work of the committee over many years.

“We recognise the tremendous power of organ donation to transform the lives of the recipient and make donor families feel comforted knowing their loved one has supported others to lead fulfilling lives.”

Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation Hayley Timms said: “Organ donation is an amazing act of kindness that can save and transform the lives of others and creates a lasting legacy for loved ones to cherish when you are gone.

“While the law has changed to an ‘opt-out’ system, it is still incredibly important that you make your donation decision known, as your family may be asked about this during what is already a very challenging time.

“In Northamptonshire alone there are 134 people whose lives are on hold while they await the gift of life.

“There is no greater gift you can give when you are no longer here. Please consider what you would want and have the conversation with your loved ones.”

It takes less than two minutes to register your decision via the website: www.organdonation.nhs.uk. There are just over 8,000 people waiting for life-saving transplants in the UK, and around 250 of these are children.