Organ donation by email

The website will be launched on Thursday

Relatives of would-be organ donors could be notified of their intentions by email under a new government scheme.

The NHS organ donor website, officially launched on Thursday, allows people to register their intention to give their organs on an electronic form.

It will be a 21st century way of making your wishes known

Lord Hunt

Then they can choose to send a "personalised" email message to relatives and friends informing them of the decision.

The website is an effort to attract new donors at a time when organs such as hearts, kidneys, livers, and lungs are in extremely short supply.

Transplant operations have become far simpler to perform and the advance of illnesses such as hepatitis C means the demand for certain organs far outstrips supply.

Health minister Lord Hunt said: "It will be a 21st century way of making your wishes known that you would be willing to be a donor."

Colleges and supermarkets

The government is simultaneously launching internet kiosks in supermarkets, colleges and pharmacies to provide touchscreen access to the government's NHS Direct website.

This provides health advice on scores of common conditions, advising patients which require professional medical attention, and which could be eased by over the counter remedies.

By the end of the year kiosks will be available at 150 locations in England and Wales, at places as diverse as the Albert Docks in Liverpool and Dover ferry terminal.

The first is to be opened on Wednesday by health minister Gisela Stuart at a pharmacy in Essex.

She said: "We've placed them in key public locations such as supermarkets, pharmacies and libraries because we want as many people as possible to have easy access to up-to-date, clear and reliable health information."

The NHS Direct phoneline is already due to be rolled out nationwide by the end of the year. It is staffed by trained nurses.

And internet users can already access the web-based service.