The NHS organ donation campaign is taking over Birmingham city centre advertising screens ahead of the British Transplant Games.

The ‘Words Saves Lives’ campaign messages are live on large digital advertising screens in the city centre to coincide with the games taking place in the city. They can be seen at high footfall areas including Bullring, Birmingham Tower and New Street.
 
With lots of focus and attention on the life-transforming impact of transplants, as over 1,000 transplant recipients arrive in Birmingham to compete in the Games, NHS Blood and Transplant is using adverts to urge people living in the city to tell their families they want to save lives through organ donation.
 
Right now, 306 people in the West Midlands are waiting for a transplant and for many of them, a donated organ is their last and only hope. However a recent NHS survey found only 41% of people in the West Midlands had ever had a conversation about organ donation. Anthony Clarkson, Interim Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said:

“We wish all the competitors the best of luck for this year’s British Transplant Games. Each and every competitor is testimony to the life-transforming impact of either organ or stem cell donation.
 
“Most of the organ transplant recipients competing at the Games are alive today thanks to someone donating their organs after death, and behind every donor is a selfless family who agreed to that donation going ahead. However, there are still around 6,000 people in the UK waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant.

"We hope our striking adverts will encourage people in Birmingham to talk to their families about organ donation – our message is simple, words save lives."
 
Registering to join the NHS Organ Donor Register is simple and details can be found at organdonation.nhs.uk.