Organ donors at Northampton hospital saved more than 21 lives in a year
“We want people to share the positive message of organ donation and the gift of life it can bring to those in need of a transplant”
Organ donors at Northampton General Hospital helped save the lives of more than 21 people in just one year, new figures have revealed.
Ten patients who died at NGH went on to become organ donors during 2025/26 following 63 referrals made by the hospital’s team.
A further 16 patients became tissue donors after their deaths, including the retrieval of 32 corneas for transplant – potentially giving the gift of sight to others.
The figures have been highlighted as Northampton prepares to mark Organ Donation Week, which runs from September 21 to 28, with a series of events aimed at encouraging more people to make their wishes known.
The Barratt Maternity entrance at Northampton General Hospital will be lit pink throughout the week, while digital messages will appear on a billboard outside Franklin’s Gardens in Weedon Road and on Redhouse Road at Moulton Park.
Information is also being shared with GP surgeries across Northamptonshire, while a display will be set up at Towcester Leisure Centre.
The hospital’s organ donation team has also been taking its message to younger people, attending the National College for Motorsport Freshers Fair at Silverstone on September 17.
The campaign comes amid concern about a decline in consent for organ donation.
Nationally, consent at the time of death has fallen from 69 per cent in 2020/21 to 57 per cent in 2025/26, according to figures highlighted by the hospital teams.
Nicola Lee, chair of Kettering General Hospital’s Organ and Tissue Donation Committee, said making your wishes clear to relatives was particularly important because families will always be approached before a donation takes place.
She said: “We want people to share the positive message of organ donation and the gift of life it can bring to those in need of a transplant.
“That by signing the register and making your views known you greatly improve the chances of successful donations.”
A single donor can save or transform the lives of up to nine people.