The research, which will be funded by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), will initially focus around the activities of the Medici Medical Centre in Luton and how GPs and other members of staff can encourage patients from all backgrounds to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.  

Anyone registering at a new medical practice will already be given the opportunity to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and this new study will look to examine whether a conversation with a member of practice staff can increase the number of people who agree to sign up.

Catrin Pedder Jones, the PhD student who will carry out the research, said: “This project has the potential to positively impact people’s lives in a dramatic way. Anything we can do to increase the number of people signing the register will make a huge difference, and could save lives.”

It is hoped the study will not only raise awareness about the need for donors from BAME communities, but also encourage families from these groups to give consent for their loved one’s organs to be donated. Over 60% of white families give consent for their loved one’s organs to be donated but for families from a BAME background, it is only 30%.

This is a particular concern, as people from Black and Asian communities have a higher incidence of conditions such as diabetes and certain forms of hepatitis, making them more likely to need a transplant. BAME patients make up a third of the active kidney transplant waiting list.

Although some are able to receive a transplant from a white donor, for many the best match will come from a donor from the same ethnic background. BAME donors are needed to improve the chances of these patients getting the kidney transplant they need.

“People from BAME communities are disproportionally affected by the current lack of organ donation we hope to raise awareness for the need for more donors from these communities,” said Catrin, who is from Biggleswade.

Catrin will be supported by Principal Lecturer in Public Health Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Prof Gurch Randhawa, Director of the University’s Institute for Health Research (IHR).

Join the NHS Organ Donor Register and make sure you tell your friends and family your decision. Visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.

Dr Papadopoulos said: “This study is the first to systematically produce and evaluate an intervention aimed at making conversations about organ donation in settings such as GP practices more routine and open. Therefore, not only is it a ground-breaking study, but it is one that carries tremendous potential for impact.”

Prof Randhawa said: “The IHR is privileged to be working in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant in developing research informed policy.”

Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHSBT, said: “With only small numbers of people dying in the right circumstances to become an organ donor and so many adults and children in need of a transplant, it is vital that no opportunity for someone to become a donor is missed. We welcome any initiative to normalise and open up conversations about organ donation, and doctors and medical staff are in a good position to prompt these discussions.

"We need more people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and share their decision with their family, and look forward to seeing the findings and insight that come from this study.”

Dr Ashok Sahdev, a GP from the Medici Medical Centre in Luton, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting this important project and public health issue in close partnership with the University and NHSBT.”

Gary Ames, chair of the Patient Participation Group at the Medici Medical Centre, said: “The Patients’ Group is very supportive of this great initiative, which is not only for an excellent cause but may also provide a reusable model for other conditions.”