In England, the NHS app claims 30 million downloads

Many of them have downloaded the NHS app, and many of them have indicated their preferences for organ donation on it.

In 2018, a trial programme for the NHS England patient app began.

It can be used, among other things, to schedule GP visits, obtain prescription drugs, and download NHS COVID passes for far-off travel.

According to the NHS, 448,000 individuals used it to decide whether to donate their organs between September 2021 and August 2022.

This represents a 69% increase over the previous 12 months when 265,000 users used the app to register their choice.

More than half of England’s population is currently represented by the number of app downloads.

More than 6,500 patients are waiting for transplants in the UK.

As of May 2020, adults in England are presumed to have consent for organ donation unless they clearly register a decision to the contrary.

Wales adopted an “opt-out” policy in 2015, and Scotland followed in March of the following year.

However, families can still decline organ donation.

And the NHS reports that between September 2021 and August 2022, 605 people blocked their deceased loved ones from donating organs.

Only 1% of people—typically those who pass away in an ICU or ER after suffering a cardiac arrest or brain injury—can donate organs.

If there is proof that the donor wanted to donate, families are significantly more likely to embrace the decision. And more than 3.7 million people have now used the app to record their wishes.

“Millions of people are continuing to use the NHS app to take control of their healthcare directly from their phone or the NHS website, with over 30 million sign-ups now recorded,” said Susie Day, NHS Digital Director of Delivery for the NHS App.

“It’s fantastic to see that more and more people are using the app to register and manage their decisions on organ donation, and we strongly advise everyone to do the same, if they haven’t already.”