Drive to find ethnic organ donors

Members of these communities are three times more likely to need a kidney transplant, according to UK Transplant.

Of 11 deceased donors last year, 10 were white and only one of mixed race.

In the past seven years, there were only four black or Asian donors but 12 patients from ethnic backgrounds on the county's waiting lists.

A transplant is more likely to succeed if the patient can be matched with a donor from the same ethnic background.

UK Transplant are now urging people from ethnic minorities, in particular from black and Asian communities, to consider placing themselves on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Twice as long

Hywel Lloyd, from UK Transplant, said: "The situation as it stands at the moment is that, across the country, around 25% of those 7,500 people who are currently waiting for a organ transplant are from black and Asian communities.

"[Donors from ethnic minorities] account for fewer than 2% of all deceased donors.

"This means that transplant patients [from ethnic minorities] who are waiting - especially those who are waiting for a kidney, typically wait up to twice as long as the rest of the general population before a suitable donor becomes available.

"Although transplant and donations are not dependent on the colour of your skin, the best match transplant is from a donor who has a similar blood group and tissue type."

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