Most of our members know the transplant conversation from the inside, whether that means waiting, living with a working graft, or supporting someone who is. Organ Donation Week runs from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2026, and the ask from NHS Blood and Transplant is a small one with a long reach: take two minutes to record your decision.
Why Organ Donation Week 2026 carries extra weight
NHS Blood and Transplant, which runs the campaign across the UK, reports that more than 8,500 people are currently in need of a transplant to save or improve their lives. Kidney Care UK, joining the NHS campaign this year, notes that more than 100,000 transplants have taken place over the last three decades, with 60,000 of those patients still alive today thanks to a donor. The charity is equally direct about the other side of that figure: the transplant waiting list is the highest it has ever been, and every day, somewhere across the UK, someone dies waiting. We have written before about how the NHS is working to help more donated kidneys reach patients, and the supply of suitable organs sits underneath all of it.
What recording a decision actually changes
The purpose of the register is certainty. According to Kidney Care UK, nine in ten families support organ donation when they already know what their loved one wanted. Where no decision has been recorded, families are asked to reach one at the hardest possible moment, with no guidance from the person themselves. That is why the campaign concentrates on confirming a decision rather than changing minds: as the charity points out, most people support organ donation in principle but too many have not confirmed it. We looked at the other end of that problem in our piece on families declining to donate a relative’s organs.
This article draws on Kidney Care UK’s announcement of 11 September 2026 about Organ Donation Week 2026, together with the official NHS Blood and Transplant campaign page. Read the Kidney Care UK article here and the NHS Blood and Transplant page here.
Living kidney donation and one transplant in three
This is not only about donation after death. Kidney Care UK reports that living kidney donors make one in three transplants possible across the UK, and that last year almost 1,000 people donated a kidney or part of their liver through living donation. For kidney patients this is easy to overlook and often the most relevant. If your family has begun to talk about it, a first-hand account of donating a kidney to a son-in-law is a grounded place to start.
Four ways to take part this week
Kidney Care UK has set out four. Confirm your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, which takes about two minutes through the NHS App or at organdonation.nhs.uk; the same app will tell you whether you have already registered. Share what you know about living kidney donation, since many people do not realise it is an option. If you have had a transplant, add a message of thanks for your donor to the charity’s free kidney celebrations page. And share the campaign using the hashtag #OrganDonationWeek. NHS Blood and Transplant is also turning landmarks and buildings across the country pink, and publishes a map of where.
What Organ Donation Week means for MRIKPA members
This is one of the moments in the year when we feel most useful, because the ask is small and it genuinely helps people like our members. If you want to read more before deciding, our page on finding out more about organ donation gathers the basics in one place.
Every September, Organ Donation Week reminds us how much can rest on a conversation that takes two minutes. Our members know what a transplant can mean, because a great many of them are living it. Recording your decision, and then telling your family what it is, is one of the kindest things anyone can do.
Guy Hill, Chair of MRIKPA
Whether you are waiting for a transplant, recovering from one, or wondering whether you could be a living donor for someone in your family, it often helps to speak with people who have been through it. You are always welcome to get in touch at support@mrikpa.org.uk or call 07745 242 684.
Sources: Kidney Care UK, Organ Donation Week 2026: how you can get involved, 11 September 2026. https://kidneycareuk.org/news-from-kidney-care-uk/organ-donation-week-2026-how-you-can-get-involved/ NHS Blood and Transplant, Organ Donation Week 2026, Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September. https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/get-involved/organ-donation-campaigns/organ-donation-week/
This article is provided for general information and awareness purposes only and was believed to be accurate at the time of publishing. It is not intended as medical advice. Please always consult your doctor or renal team for guidance on your individual circumstances. Images used are for illustration purposes only and may not be medically or editorially accurate. While we take every care, errors can occur. If you spot an inaccuracy, please let us know at support@mrikpa.org.uk.
