A team made up of people working at hospitals across Greater Manchester has taken part in a bike ride to mark the anniversary of a law change.

To mark the anniversary of the law change regarding organ donation in England, staff from the Royal Oldham Intensive Care Unit joined others from the Manchester University Foundation NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Blood and Transplant for a ‘Join the Journey’ bike ride to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.    

The team set off in the morning and cycled the 12-mile journey on Friday, May 19, from The Royal Oldham Hospital to Manchester Royal Infirmary, which represents the journey donated organs take from a district general hospital to a transplant centre, where it is given to a recipient who is waiting for a lifesaving transplant operation.  

Max and Keira’s Law, the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2019, came into effect in England in May 2020 and is named in memory of Keira Ball, who was killed in a crash and donated her heart, saving Max’s life. 

All adults are now considered as having agreed to donate their own organs when they die, unless they record a decision not to donate or have told their family that they don’t want to donate.  

Children under 18, those who lack the mental capacity to understand the changes, or those who have not lived in England for at least 12 months are excluded.

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However, relatives will still always be consulted before organ donation goes ahead and, according to the NHS, opportunities for transplants are missed every year because families aren’t sure what to do.

Organ donation was recently added to the National Curriculum for the first time, so family members, whatever their age, are being encouraged to get together to talk about their own organ donation decisions. 

Dr Andrew Drummond, consultant in intensive care and clinical lead for organ donation at the Royal Oldham Hospital said: “Knowing what your relative wanted helps families support their decision around organ donation, at what is often a difficult time.

“We need more people in Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester to talk with their loved ones about organ donation to give them the certainty they need to support their organ donation decision.” 

Dr Jonathan Bannard-Smith, consultant in intensive care and clinical lead for organ donation at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, said: “You still have a choice whether you want to become an organ donor or not.

“We will always ask your family to support your decision. So, whatever you choose, it's really important that you let them know.”