AS CHRISTMAS approaches people are being asked to seriously consider giving the greatest gift of all – the gift of life.

There are 187 people in Merseyside waiting for a transplant this Christmas, but in the last five years 65 people from the region have died due to the shortage of organs.

NHS Blood and Transplant is asking people to talk to their families over the festive period about being an organ donor as well as the more common Christmas conversation about holidays and the weather.

Anthony Clarkson, Acting Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Don’t miss the opportunity to discuss organ donation when you’re with your family this Christmas. We know that Christmas is a time for enjoying ourselves and talking about the nice things in life like future holidays. But for people in need of an organ, Christmas is a very difficult time.

“Thirty two people in Merseyside have received a life-saving organ transplant from a deceased donor this year. To help save more people we need everyone, including the 379,034 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register in Merseyside, to talk to their loved ones about their donation decision.”

NHS Blood and Transplant is asking people to tell their families this Christmas that they want to donate their organs, and to record their decision by joining the NHS Organ Donor Register. To join the NHS Organ Donor Register, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.