Sonia Kumar MP backs organ donation drive as 28 Dudley residents wait for a transplant
Dudley MP Sonia Kumar is urging local people to record their organ donation decision and talk to their families about their wishes, as new figures reveal 28 people in Dudley are currently waiting for a potentially life-saving transplant.
The figures were shared with Sonia by NHS Blood and Transplant after she sponsored its parliamentary reception on organ donation, bringing together parliamentarians and people with personal experience of organ donation and transplantation.
As of 10 August 2026, 28 people in Dudley were waiting for a transplant, while during 2025/26 five Dudley residents received a life-saving transplant.
Nationally, the need for donated organs continues to exceed supply. NHS Blood and Transplant’s latest Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Activity Report shows that 8,296 patients, including 241 children, were on the active UK transplant waiting list as of 31 March 2026 – the highest number on record.
During 2025/26, 1,428 people donated organs after their death, while 4,666 patients received an organ transplant. A further 1,017 people became living donors.
Almost 29 million people have now recorded their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, but NHS Blood and Transplant has highlighted the importance not only of registering a decision but also of discussing that decision with loved ones.
Family support for organ donation has fallen from 69% in 2020/21 to 57% in 2025/26. When somebody has recorded a donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, families support donation in almost 90% of cases. This falls to below 50% when families do not know their loved one’s wishes.
NHS Blood and Transplant has now launched its One in a Million campaign, aiming to encourage another one million people to register their organ donation decision and reach 30 million registrations by the beginning of 2027.
Sonia Kumar MP said:
“Behind the statistic that 28 people in Dudley are waiting for a transplant are 28 individuals and families hoping for the call that could transform or save a life.
“As a former NHS physiotherapist, I have seen the extraordinary difference our NHS and its dedicated staff can make to people’s lives. Organ donation is one of the most powerful examples of that, with one person’s decision having the potential to give others a second chance at life.
“I was proud to sponsor NHS Blood and Transplant’s parliamentary reception and to hear directly from people with personal experience of organ donation and transplantation.
“The message from the event was incredibly important: please record your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, but just as importantly, have that conversation with your family. Making sure the people closest to you know your wishes could make an enormous difference.
“Five people from Dudley received a life-saving transplant last year, but 28 people locally are still waiting. I want us to do everything we can to give them, and thousands of others across the country, hope.”
Sonia is also encouraging people across Dudley who have personal experience of organ donation or transplantation to share their stories.
This could include transplant recipients, people currently waiting for a transplant, living donors, donor families and people whose loved ones became organ donors.
Sonia added:
“There will be people and families across Dudley whose lives have been profoundly affected by organ donation. Their experiences can be incredibly powerful in encouraging others to think about donation and have that important conversation with their loved ones.
“If you have a story you would be comfortable sharing, I would be very pleased to hear from you and help ensure the voices of people in Dudley are part of this national conversation.”