NEARLY 200 people have died waiting for a transplant in Greater Manchester in the past four years.

The figures have been released by NHS Blood and Transplant as part of National Transplant Week – in a bid to persuade people to pass on their donation wishes to loved ones.

In Greater Manchester, 554 people are waiting for a transplant and 173 have died due to the shortage of organs in the past four years.

Mother-of-two Natalie Kerr, a former Royal Bolton Hospital nurse, received a life-saving double lung transplant last year after fearing she was going to die.

Teenager Adam Bhaiji, aged 17, from Halliwell, received a kidney transplant earlier this year after waiting more than two years for a match to be found.

The theme of the week-long campaign is ‘Pass It On’, stressing the importance of having a conversation with family members about organ donation as well as joining the NHS Organ Donor Register.

If a person has discussed their wishes to donate their organs when they die with their families, then 95 per cent will agree to donation. But if the person is registered on the Organ Donor Register and does not express their wishes, then only 46 per cent of families agree to their loved one’s organs being donated. The UK’s family refusal rate is one of the highest in Europe.

Sally Johnson, director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Since April, 35 people in Greater Manchester have benefited from life-saving transplants. To help more people we need everyone, including the 726,122 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register in Greater Manchester, to talk to their loved ones about their wishes. To register call 0300 123 2323, text DONATE to 62323, or visit transplantweek.co.uk