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Increased Support for Organ Donation

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Friday 19 February 2010



Australia's Organ Donor Awareness Week 21 - 28 February 2010



DonateLife(tm) NSW, part of the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service, recently appointed two new specialist nurses to support Wagga Wagga and Griffith Health Services.

The appointments are part of the new state and federal government initiative to improve organ and tissue donation.

Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) Central Sector General Manager Jill Ludford said: "The new staff is great news for the whole community. This very important service aims to increase the number of life-saving transplants."

"The need to increase the organ donation rate is shown by the 1,770 (including 1,310 for kidney) patients in NSW waiting at January this year. This compares with 1,716 at the start of 2009," Ms Ludford said.

The DonateLife(tm) program is part of a national and state initiative, which has been endorsed by Federal Parliament and NSW Health has established the new NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service (OTDS).

Sarah Woolley is the newly appointed GSAHS Nurse Specialist Organ and Tissue Donor and highlighted the importance of DonateLife(tm) becoming an accepted part of the Australian way of life.

"Although 90 per cent of Australians support organ and tissue donation, only 56 per cent of families currently consent to donation.

Families who know their loved one's wishes are more likely to uphold them which is why we encourage everyone to have a good conversation about their donation wishes with their family and friends," she said.

"We will support people through the donation process but the community really needs to help us by having this important conversation with their families."

"The DonateLife(tm) program is designed to empower Australians to "Discover" the facts about organ and tissue donation, make an informed choice and "Decide" to become an organ and issue donor and "Discuss" their wishes with their family and friends and know each other's wishes," Ms Woolley added.

For more information and to sign on to the organ donor register to save lives call 1800 777 203 or go to www.donatelife.gov.au or contact your local RTA to update your driver's licence details, then tell your family of your decision.
 

VIEW the Organ Donor Challenge PDF

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