Since 2020/21, family consent for organ donation has fallen from 69 per cent to 57 per cent in 2025/26. In situations where the donor’s wishes are known, 90 per cent of families support donation. Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "Family support for organ donation has been in steady decline over the last few years, and we need to reverse that trend. "We understand that when families are approached about organ donation, they may be expected to make difficult decisions at an already tragic time. In the North East and Yorkshire last year, 302 people donated organs after death, while 1,132 patients remain on the transplant waiting list.