Thank you Dedworth – the second episode of this two-part documentary is tonight ( Monday 8 September ) on BBC3 at 9 pm.


 Although the documentary is about obtaining tissues – such as corneas, tendons, bones and skin – from the newly deceased, with the necessary sensitivity obtaining consent from the bereaved, it draws attention to the need for donation, still a taboo topic for many.


 Most of us would have a blood transfusion, have a corneal transplant, or take an organ such as a kidney, if we needed one.


 However, three people are thought to die each day in the UK due to a shortage of organs. Only 4% of us give blood. Roughly 10,000 people in the UK need a transplant.


 Around 1/10 of the world’s population suffer chronic kidney disease – but most patients requiring a transplant won’t get one.


 In the UK we have an " opt-in " regime of informed consent. A potential donor has to sign their intent by enrolling on a Donor Register. Less than a third have done so. From next year the system in Wales will change to " opt-out ". Most families said " yes " to donation if their loved one’s decision to donate was known ; but they can and do refuse, in which case donation is unlikely ( and a patient waiting for an organ may die ).


 The good news is that the number of transplants ( mostly kidney ) increased by 10% in the last financial year – either from living donors, or ( more often ) donated after death. Over 4,600 transplants were carried out.


 Find out more about tissue donation on the NHS Blood and Transplant Donation website (www.nhsbt.nhs.uk)



 Read about organ donation on the NHS website(www.organdonation.nhs.uk).




 Around the world, over 100,000 transplants are done each year in over 100 countries. The World Health Organization ( WHO ) thinks up to 1/10 kidney transplants still result from " commercial transactions " ( trafficking in human organs ) – despite legislation forbidding organ sales in most countries, including the Philippines. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...lltext?rss=yes


 Organ transplants are a controversial issue in the Philippines. The government banned transplants of Filipino kidneys to foreigners in 2008, but it may well still be going on. The system is " opt-in " as in the UK. The Philippines has a National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and a Human Organ Preservation Effort ( HOPE ) which is a network for organs and tissues attempting to improve the situation ( around one person may die each week waiting for a transplant ). http://www.nkti.gov.ph/organ_donation.do


 The Philippine Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org.ph/what-we-d...blood-services
) is one of the major suppliers of blood, while the Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion Center provides transfusion services and offers care for patients with blood disorders (http://www.doh.gov.ph/content/philip...od-center.html
).