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In line with Organ Donation Week (September 23rd to 29th 2024), Legal & General have partnered with the NHS to inspire family conversations and registrations for organ donation.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the NHS Organ Donation Register. And as we celebrate this milestone, it’s just as important as ever that people feel confident that they can talk about their organ donation decisions.

During 2023/24, the consent rate for organ donation was 89% (when a patient had expressed an ‘opt in’ decision). However, 140 families overruled their loved one’s decision to be an organ donor. This underlines the importance of people feeling empowered to discuss their organ donation decisions with family members.

Whatever your own decision about organ donation, it’s vital that you talk to your loved ones so they can fully understand the decision and be certain about what you want.

So, what do you need to know about organ donation? How do you start a conversation about organ donation and debunk common myths about organ donation? And what do you need to do once you’ve made up your mind? Let’s take a look.

Legal & General partnered with Clinical Psychologist Dr Angharad Rudkin, to explore useful tips for having difficult conversations like this with your children:

• Age – how long a child can focus on a conversation changes with age. The basic rule of thumb is one minute per year of their life. This may seem very short but knowing this helps a parent focus the conversation and optimises their child’s chance of taking it all in. Age also affects how a child understands concepts of time and the finality of some things. With younger children especially, ask them what their understanding is before you begin so that you can tailor the way you give information.
• Technology – Children often look online to find out more or to verify information they’ve been told. While encouraging your child to come to you to chat, you can also direct them to trusted online sources.
• Language – the younger the child the simpler the language. Don’t assume your child knows what things mean. Instead ask them if they understand what an “organ” is, and what the word “donation” means.
• Use examples – children can struggle to understand abstract notions until they are quite a bit older, so use examples from your child’s life (either a personal experience or something from a book, TV, or a game) to illustrate what you are talking about.
• Honesty – Respond to questions openly and honestly and don’t be worried if you can’t answer a question. Let your child know you will find out and come back to them or let them know that you haven’t quite figured out the answer to that yet either. They will appreciate your honesty and will respond similarly.
• Timing – Choose a moment when children aren’t too tired and hungry and when you’re not taking them away from something they enjoy – whether it’s reading, gaming or playing outside. This means they are more amenable to listening.
• Sensitivity – Keep checking in with how they’re feeling. If a child is feeling very anxious, arrange with them a time when you will return to the topic, so that they know there is another opportunity to talk.
• Busy Families – Families are busier than ever, and it can be hard to find the time to talk about big, important topics such as organ donation. But it is a conversation worth having, not least because children learn as much from watching as they do from listening. Hearing you talk about it calmly and openly will teach them how to respond to this topic, opening up the gates to plenty more conversations about it in the future.
• New knowledge - Children of all ages are fascinated by novelty and surprise. Talking about organ donation may spark questions. Encourage all questions to help a child build up a better understanding of a complex topic.
• After the conversation – After the conversation move on to an activity together. This will ease the transition back to everyday life and reassure the child that life will now go on as usual.

This year, it’s the 30th birthday of the NHS Organ Donation Register, and local landmarks across the UK will be turning pink to raise awareness of the power of organ donations.

Pink is the colour of the organ donation card, so what better visual prompt than brightening up our local landmarks – from hospitals and council offices to schools and universities.

The more buildings lit pink – and people wearing pink –  the more awareness will be raised for this life-saving gift.

More than 7,600 people need a life-saving transplant right now. Tragically, every day across the UK, someone loses their life waiting for an organ transplant. But your support for Organ Donation Week can help trigger conversations about organ donation – both online and offline. Two minutes now could save up to nine lives.