In less than 3 hours, the hopes and prayers of thousands across England will finally be answered.

For tomorrow heralds in a landmark change to the way organ donors in England are enrolled. No longer, will people like my friend Naomi - who's currently waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant - need to solely rely on the generosity and kindness of those who've made a conscious decision to register to become organ donors via the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Don't get me wrong, people who registered to become donors since it's inception in the early 90s (when the register was first introduced in the UK), are all angels and heroes in the eyes of those who support Organ Donation. They've chosen to save a life - after death. It's a selfless act, made by so many over the course of the last quarter of a century.

To be on the register, people were first required to opt-In, sign up and record their decision to donate their organs after death.

It goes without saying, the register is and has been a source of hope for so many people, many in desperate need of a life-changing transplant. I'm speaking about people clinging on to life, living an uncertain future - effectively in limbo. One of the few times the expression "looking for a needle in a haystack" carries true weight and meaning.

The challenge: having sufficient donors to meet patient need. There simply aren't enough in the system to help, improve or save the lives of all those waiting on the transplant list. Which has unfortunately resulted in the needless loss of life. The searches continue for suitably matched donors to patients, but bottom line, it's a numbers game. Donor numbers lag behind patient numbers. In the meantime, people are dying.

Some sections of society are currently more disproportionately impacted than others, I'm speaking primarily about B.A.M.E Communities. The reasons for this are historic, cultural, religious and generational. A topic in itself for another day.

NHS Blood & Transplant's statistics confirm the stark reality. B.A.M.E. transplant patients are likely to experience a wait longer than our white counterparts:

7.2% BAME Donors Registered
35% BAME waiting for a Kidney Transplant
Resulting in on average a 6 month longer wait time (2019 stats)

The changes to be introduced into law at midnight tonight, go by the name 'Max and Keira's Law', the registration process will change from being an opt-in system to an auto-enrolment registration. It will see all those not considered to be in an excluded group auto-enrolled to the donor register upon death unless they've chosen to opt-out or their family object.

EXCLUDED GROUPS:
  • Those under the age of 18
  • People who lack the mental capacity to understand the new arrangements and take the necessary action
  • Visitors to England, and those not living here voluntarily
  • People who have lived in England for less than 12 months before their death

From tomorrow, 20th May, it's all change!

That needle in a haystack will become a needle in a needle-stack, where better > best donor matches (and more of them) will be easier to come by, thus saving even more lives going forward.

Many have campaigned long and hard to see this change and encourage the public at large to make an informed decision before choosing to opt-out ahead of the Law change. For those who have already opted-out, it's never too late to register a change in your decision, I'd just ask you to think about what YOU would want to happen if at some point in the future you found yourself in need of a donor organ to continue living your life.

I've read the arguments for and against this landmark change, perhaps I'm biased, I can see more good coming from this than bad - but then - faced with watching my friend go through this as a patient in need, I am indirectly touched by the change, and I hope it vastly reduces the time Naomi and others will have to wait going forward. If it were you, wouldn't you want the same? Moreover, what would YOU do if you or a loved one needed a life-saving organ?

Life is precious. These past few months with COVID-19, in particular, have shown us just how precious. We've all been touched by tragic stories of loss, in turn, I think we're all more aware of the fragility of life. Whether we personally know someone who's passed away or not, we all know someone who's grieving from a loss. To those not touched personally by Organ Donation, you have an idea of how I felt, the day my friend Naomi told me she had kidney failure. If you find yourself in the "opt-out" camp after the events of these past few months, this message will, unfortunately, be wasted on you. However, if after reading this you want to find out more, the place to start is https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

It's a positive step, in the right direction. I'll be raising a glass to progress at midnight!

Thank you for reading.