TWENTY-five people have died in Cumbria in the last five years due to a shortage of organs.
The shock figure was released by NHS Blood and Transplant in a bid to get more people talking about organ donation while spending time with family over the festive period.
It also revealed that there are 65 people in the county currently on the waiting list for a transplant.
“We know that Christmas is a time for enjoying ourselves and talking about the nice things in life like future holidays,” said Anthony Clarkson, acting director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant.
“But for people in need of an organ, Christmas is a very difficult time so we are urging everybody to talk about organ donation.
"Twenty-one people in Cumbria have received a life-saving organ transplant from a deceased donor this year.
"To help save more people we need everyone, including the 156,058 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register in Cumbria, to talk to their loved ones about their donation decision."
Fewer than 5,000 people each year die in circumstances where they can donate their organs.
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