Organ Donation Week 2025

Every year, Organ Donation Week shines a light on one of the most pressing yet often misunderstood aspects of modern healthcare: the life-saving potential of organ and tissue donation. In 2025, Organ Donation Week takes place from - a vital moment to encourage individuals, families, and organisations to have open conversations about donation, sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, and understand how regulation, compliance, and ethical practice shape this sensitive area of care.

For highly regulated sectors, such as health and social care, education, and the wider public service, Organ Donation Week is not only a chance to raise awareness. It is a reminder of the responsibilities we hold: ensuring that patients, staff, learners, and communities are informed, supported, and treated with dignity.

In this blog, Anna Nova Galeon will explore the key messages of Organ Donation Week 2025, the broader context of organ donation in the UK, and the practical implications for organisations that must meet stringent regulatory and compliance standards.

What is organ donation?

Organ donation is the process by which healthy organs and tissues are taken from one person (a donor) and transplanted into another person (a recipient) whose organs have failed or been damaged. A single donor can save or improve the lives of up to nine people by donating their heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and other tissues such as corneas, skin, or bone.

In the UK, organ donation operates within a carefully regulated framework overseen by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Since 2020, the law in England has followed an “opt-out” system, also known as Max and Keira’s Law, which presumes that adults agree to donate unless they have recorded a decision not to. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland also operate under similar systems, though each has its own legal nuances.

Despite these frameworks, consent and family support remain critical. Families are always consulted, and their understanding of the donor’s wishes can be the deciding factor in whether the donation goes ahead. That is why awareness, communication, and education are so important, and why Organ Donation Week matters.

Why Organ Donation Awareness matters

According to NHSBT, more than 7,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Tragically, around 400 people die every year while waiting. While the opt-out system has increased the number of potential donors, the need for public understanding, trust, and support remains urgent.

Organ Donation Week 2025 seeks to address several key challenges:

• Myths and misconceptions - Many people remain unsure about the process, fearing that registering as a donor may affect the care they receive in hospital or raise religious and cultural conflicts. Evidence shows that medical teams always prioritise saving lives and follow strict ethical rules

• Family conversations - Even under opt-out legislation, families can decline donation if they believe it is not what their loved one would have wanted. Discussing wishes openly reduces uncertainty and distress

• Health inequalities - Black, Asian, and minority ethnic patients wait longer on average for organ transplants because of lower donation rates within these communities. Awareness campaigns must address these disparities with cultural sensitivity

• Trust in regulation - Organ donation involves deeply personal and ethical decisions. Transparency, regulation, and accountability are essential to maintaining trust in the system.

For regulated organisations, these challenges are not abstract - they touch on compliance, safeguarding, equality, and governance duties.

Practical implications for highly regulated organisations

Organ donation is not only a matter of medical science and compassion - strict legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks also bind it. For highly regulated organisations, awareness alone is not enough. Leaders must translate the principles of dignity, consent, and inclusivity into policies, training, and day-to-day practice.

To illustrate this, the practical implications can be considered across four key areas:

1. Health and social care

Hospitals, care providers, and commissioners must navigate complex ethical and regulatory frameworks around organ and tissue donation. CQC standards emphasise dignity, consent, and person-centred care. NHS Trusts are required to ensure their policies and staff training reflect the Human Tissue Act 2004, the Human Tissue Authority’s Codes of Practice, and the NHS Organ Donation Strategy.

Practical steps include:

• Training staff to communicate sensitively with patients and families about end-of-life care and donation

• Maintaining accurate records to evidence compliance with consent, capacity, and safeguarding legislation

• Ensuring diverse communities are supported with culturally appropriate information and interpreters where needed.

Failure to demonstrate compliance in these areas can expose organisations to reputational risk, regulatory sanctions, and most importantly, harm to patient trust and wellbeing.

2. Education and early years

Schools, colleges, and universities may not directly facilitate donation, but they play a vital role in awareness and citizenship education. The Department for Education encourages schools to provide age-appropriate teaching about organ donation within the Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum.

Practical actions include:

• Incorporating organ donation into health education lessons to encourage informed future decisions

• Hosting awareness events during Organ Donation Week to align with NHSBT campaigns

• Ensuring that equality, diversity, and inclusion standards are met in the delivery of sensitive topics.

For Ofsted-regulated providers, embedding awareness within the curriculum supports broader inspection criteria around personal development and preparing young people for modern life.

3. Workplace compliance

Employers across regulated sectors are increasingly expected to demonstrate their commitment to employee wellbeing and social responsibility. While organ donation may not appear in most compliance checklists, its relevance grows when considered in relation to:

• Equality and diversity policies - Supporting awareness across all staff groups

• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - Aligning workplace campaigns with national health priorities

• Well-being programmes - Providing staff with access to reliable information and opportunities to participate in awareness initiatives.

Organ Donation Week can therefore become part of broader compliance, governance, and culture-building strategies.

4. Data governance and ethics

The management of consent, patient records, and sensitive health data sits at the heart of organ donation. Organisations must ensure they meet the requirements of GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and NHS data governance standards. Any mishandling of donor or recipient information can undermine public confidence and attract regulatory penalties.

Embedding strong data ethics policies, training staff, and evidencing compliance through audits are all essential steps.

Organ Donation Week 2025 - Key dates

This year, Organ Donation Week takes place from 22 to 28 September 2025. It is a national opportunity to raise awareness, share accurate information, and encourage more people to register their decision and speak to their loved ones about organ donation.

For organisations, it is also a moment to align internal policies, staff training, and compliance systems with the values of transparency, dignity, and trust that underpin effective regulation.

Supporting Organ Donation awareness with compliance confidence

Organ Donation Week 2025 is more than an awareness event - it is a compliance challenge and an ethical responsibility. Demonstrating that your organisation has the right systems in place for consent, safeguarding, equality, and data governance is essential not only for inspection readiness but for building the trust of patients, staff, and communities.

That’s where ComplyPlus™ comes in. Our all-in-one compliance ecosystem helps health, social care, education, and other regulated organisations to:

• Track mandatory training in safeguarding, equality, and cultural awareness.

• Centralise governance and audit evidence to meet CQC, Ofsted, and other regulatory standards

• Provide accessible resources to staff on sensitive issues, including organ donation, end-of-life care, and patient communication

• Build a culture of inclusion, trust, and accountability that goes beyond compliance tick-boxes.

As we mark Organ Donation Week 2025 (22–28 September), ensure your organisation can demonstrate not only awareness but accountability.