Research and Campaigns Officer, Gabrielle Bourke, discusses the WI’s recent visit to the NHS Blood and Transplant Tissue Centre in Speke.

The most dramatic moment of the NFWI Annual Meeting back in June was when WI member Jenny took the microphone, and implored members to pass the resolution on Organ Donation because she was only able to see the stage that day from receiving cornea donations, just weeks beforehand. Though 4,000 people singing along to Jerusalem is a closed second, to be fair!

Tweet from the AM debate

Each year thousands of people have their lives transformed through donations of tissue. Skin is used for burns victims. Heart valves and bones, tendons and cartilage can all be used.  Tissue donation also suffers some quirks: women are less likely to pledge to donate their eyes rather than their hearts, for example. People can give their consent to donate ‘any of my organs and tissue’ by ticking the first box of the registration form, but one kind of tissue donation – from eyes – is also listed alongside the organs.

A NHSBT Organ Donation Registration leaflet

The BBC ran a documentary about the Tissue Centre in Speke, just east of Liverpool, a few weeks ago. Information has power: there was a spike in Organ and Tissue Donor registrations after the show was aired.  Along with NFWI Public Affairs chair Marylyn-Haines Evans, I was privileged to visit the Tissue Centre in Speke recently, to get a better understanding about the centre, its work and how it helps donors and recipients alike. 

Speke Tissue Centre

We were met by Kyle Bennett, who’s worked for NHSBT in tissue services for 14 years, and he walked us through the stages of tissue donation, all the way from donation and consent to recipient. Other tissue banks only collect a few types of tissue, but the centre in Speke is unique. It’s the only multi tissue bank in the UK and the biggest in the EU.

Collecting tissue from recipients happens in a different way from organ donation. Many families who were asked to donate their loved ones’ organs were also asked about tissue, and most of them generously said yes.  But if someone is suitable to donate tissue only, consent for their tissue will be asked for over the phone. NHSBT has links to hospitals all over the country (and coroners, nurses and police), who inform bereaved families that tissue donation might be possible. NHSBT also has a presence in a dozen or so of the biggest hospitals throughout the UK. 13 specialist nurses make the calls to families to discuss the options. Because tissue can be kept for many years (10 years for heart valves, 5 for skin), the need for different tissues waxes and wanes. But the window for collecting tissue from a deceased person can be as short as 24 hours, and demand can spike with certain kinds of injuries (Kyle told us about the 7/7 attacks in London having an impact, for example). It’s up to NHSBT to manage the demand for tissue and make sure families are called when they are needed. The nurses who make these calls are specially trained, and consent from families is high.

It’s not all responding to accidents however. Sometime NHSBT staff are on the lookout for specific tissues to fit a particular patient. Sick children may need bones of a certain size, for example. The tissue centre also works with donations from living patients. One of the nicest aspects of hip replacements is how it goes on to help others: The bones removed from 3,000 hip-op patients last year made ‘cement’ used in the hip replacements for other people. It works better than a synthetic product! Donations of the amniotic membrane from women undergoing elective caesarean sections help with eye operations. The consent nurses must switch from asking bereaved families to these living donor cases frequently, so need to be well-trained and able to balance the different aspects of their role.

Once tissue has been donated from a patient, NHSBT gather up more information about the donor, screen the donation and make sure it’s safe to use. The information is then all independently checked and verified.  This process can take up to three months, so the tissue is stored in NHSBT’s facilities. Some tissue can’t wait three months to be processed for use, like skin and heart valves. These gets processed as soon as possible, stored in liquid nitrogen while the information gathering and verification go on.

Storing tissue in liquid nitrogen

Then the tissue itself is checked, processed and goes into freezer storage, ready for use. The site in Speke has a bank of freezers, all hooked up to two independent monitoring systems keeping them safe. Kyle’s phone alerts him to when any abnormal temperature is recorded.

Kyle walked us past the state-of-the-art labs where the tissue is processed, making guesses as to who was working as some staff are wearing scrubs and facemasks, making them all look alike! Each stage of the tissue processing has a different grade of cleanliness. The labs at the centre are sterile to a much higher standard than any operating theatre in Britain. Sterility must be strictly maintained, otherwise donors’ precious gifts are compromised. It’s the cleanest place in the country by far.

A lab

And then the donations are sent to hospitals to be used for the people who need them. Staff turnover at the centre is low, and you can understand why. Every day, they make a difference.

The lesson for WI members is that as well as finding the time to talk about organ donation, they should talk about tissue too! Families every day in Britain are asked about donating their loved ones’ tissue. The reality is that if you want to be a donor, it’s not up to you. Kyle’s team can only start their work when your family carry out your wishes. So let them know today!

More information about tissue donation is available here on the NHSBT Tissue site.  If you want to sign up to be an organ or tissue donor, click here. Once you’ve told your family about your decision, show us who you told through our Big Conversation craft project.

A big thank you to Kyle and his team for showing us around. 

Making our voices heard on climate change

On Sunday morning, WI members from as far north as Yorkshire and Manchester, and as far west as Cornwall and Somerset gathered in London. They were joined by their families and friends to march alongside 40,000 other climate conscious campaigners from across the UK, adding their voices to calls for positive action on climate change ahead of today’s UN Climate Summit in New York. The rally had a festival feel, all generations from babies to great grandmothers joined in to celebrate the things we love that will be affected by climate change, and to demonstrate to government that scale of public support for ambitious action to safeguard the planet for future generations.  

 Here, some of the WI members that attended share with us why they believe action on climate change is so very important.

Protecting future generations was a common theme – Evelyn, who had travelled from Middlesex, explained:  “Like many WI members, I have children and grandchildren and I'm looking to their futures. We encourage them to work hard at school and in employment to have 'a better life' but that 'better life' will not happen if we continue to squander the earth's resources and pollute our atmosphere, seas and the land too.”

Susan from Wiltshire added: “Climate change is the most important issue of our time! Marching is one way of taking action and bringing the issue of climate change to the attention of everyone – keeping the planet green for the love of bees and my children and grandchildren.”

Pippa from Cornwall joined the march because of her concern that “We seem to be dangerously close to a number of tipping points. I feel that without action on climate change my children and grandchildren have no future, and I can see no other way of making a difference.”

And it was not only future generations that WI members were concerned about: “One of my fellow-marchers mentioned that her house had been flooded earlier in the week following a torrential downpour. This is the sort of incident that brings the reality closer to home. We need to think of other women across the world who have to cope with floods and droughts, that make their lives even more difficult.”

Another common theme from WI members was the frustration at the lack of action on the part of global leaders to create the framework to challenge climate change. Jan, a member from Wiltshire explained: “I feel very passionately about the damage which is being done to our lovely planet in the quest for non-renewable resources. There is so little being done by world leaders and politicians; they do not seem to see the bigger picture of what trouble we are creating for future generations, and pay lip service but do not take action.”

Jenny, from London added: “Our leaders must create the political will and policies to fund the technology and implement the means to avert the effects of continued carbon emissions now confidently predicted by 97% of the scientific community and based on hard evidence.”

There was a feeling that the inaction on the part of global leaders was exacerbated by business interests. Anne, a member who had travelled from Somerset expanded on this: “There are enough resources at our disposal to do without fossil fuels. The problem is there is too much vested interest at stake from big business to get the required investment. We are held to ransom by the oil companies.”

Finally, Jean from Manchester, set out some of the green policies she would like to see implemented in the future: “I am worried about the inertia from world leaders. All London buses and taxis could be electric to reduce pollution and health impacts such as asthma. All new build could have solar energy to help electricity consumption during the day. All political parties need to be green.”

Starting the Big Conversation

The WI’s Time to Talk Campaign is about making sure we all know what our loved ones’ wishes are about organ donation. The decision to be a donor is up to each of us (you can become Registered Donor here if you like), but in the end, it’s left to thousands of families every year to turn those wishes into actions.

We know talking about donation with our loved ones can sometimes be difficult. So we've come up with a way to use WI members’ talents to show their leadership in finding the Time to Talk.

We’re starting the Big Conversation, which means we’re asking each and every WI member to:

1. Find the Time to Talk and have a conversation with their loved one about their organ donation decision
2. Get creative and make something through craft or illustration to show who you spoke to
3. Take a photo and send it to us

Did you sit down to a cup of tea with your husband? Did you mention it to your children when you were cooking dinner in the kitchen? Maybe you mentioned to a close friend after getting your driving license renewed? Perhaps reading a story about donation in the paper prompted you to talk to a family member. Transform who you spoke to (or are going to speak to) and the context of that conversation into whatever craft or creative project you like. It can be as skilful (crochet, pottery, decoupage, quilling, embroidery) or basic (spell out their name in icing or take a selfie spelling out who you told!) as you want.

Take a photo of it and post it to social media using the hashtag #WITimetoTalk. Or email it to the NFWI Public Affairs team (publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk) and we'll publish it for you.

The results will be shared online over the next year on Twitter, Facebook and an online photo gallery. At the end, we will create a massive mosaic of photographs of all the WI members’ crafts for a special exhibition as part of the WI’s centenary year.

With each photo representing a real conversation, together they will show how WI members have found the Time to Talk, and inspire others to do the same. Remember every single discussion about organ donation is part of a bigger conversation.

You have until Friday 27 March 2015 to share your conversation photos with us. Get crafting! 

More detailed instructions and some ideas to get you thinking creatively are here

Hate the wait, make the time, let them know

Cancer waiting times have been in the news recently. So too has GP access. Waiting for healthcare seems so very wrong when the NHS has been designed to be been there for us from 1948 for every day of our lives.

Some 7,000 people are waiting for treatment on the NHS, but this time we can’t blame the funding deficit/workforce issues/service configuration or anything else that puts pressure on the NHS.

They are waiting because we are afraid.

NHS Blood and Transplant Public Behaviour Change Strategy 2014

On average, eight families in the United Kingdom today will be asked about donation of their loved-one’s organs after suffering the loss of a family member. Four of those families will have no idea how their loved felt about donation. Their loved one didn't put their name on the Organ Donation Register. They never spoke about donation, they didn't want to tempt fate, they didn't want to talk about death. And now it’s too late. These four families face this decision with no idea what to do. The burden is enormous, and they are bearing it at the most difficult time.

Emma is a WI member, and when discussing Organ Donation in her WI, she shared the story of her friend Samantha. Samantha's family suffered a sudden loss when her father passed away. Their world was in turmoil. But that day, they ended the wait for six people (including three children) who’d been waiting for organ and tissue transplants, because they’d overcome those barriers and discussed organ donation as a family in advance. Here Samantha describes what happened, in her own words:

Dad collapsed with a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage on the 17th November 2003. He was fit and healthy and we were in the gym when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital. He never regained consciousness. He was kept on life support for two days before they did the brain stem tests to pronounce him brain dead on the 19th November. An adored Dad to my sister and I, he was still head over heels in love with my mum since they had met 25 years ago. He was 47 when he died.

I can't remember if it was before or after he was pronounced brain dead that they asked us about donating (patients must be kept 'alive' to keep the organs working before the transplant surgery takes place), but whilst he was still on life support we were asked if organ donation was something we had talked about and would we consider speaking to a transplant co-ordinator.

We knew it was something he wanted so we said yes to finding out more.

I don't remember it being more stressful [because we were asked]. Our world had already been so suddenly turned upside down that we just somehow accepted this I think. But knowing we could help some people was a comfort.

We met with Tracey, the coordinator. The first thing she asked was what was Dad like as a person and she was interested in who he was. I think we chatted for ages about him and Tracey was so empathetic throughout.

Once we had decided she told us how the recipients would be contacted, getting the call they had been waiting for, them getting ready to come to hospital etc and it we certainly felt a sense of excitement and hope for them - and we knew Dad would have felt the same. We had all talked about it as a family and all of us said it was something we would do if we could.

It does help knowing that six people were saved and are hopefully living happy, healthy lives ten years on. We did receive a thank you card (through Tracey) from one of the gentlemen which was amazing to read. We are immensely proud of Dad and for being part of something so significant.

Imagine if, instead of being afraid, we talked to our families, like Samantha’s Dad did. Imagine if, instead of only 57% of families saying yes to donation (as is currently the case), 80% of families said yes because they knew what to do, like Samantha's family did. The wait would finally be over for almost 1,500 people on the transplant waiting list. They’d get the organs they so desperately need.

If you want to be an organ donor, join the Register here and talk to your family today. Don’t leave it too late. The 7,000 people on the transplant waiting list have been waiting long enough.

Time to Talk

The journey from the WI’s HQ in London to Leeds for our Annual Meeting took around 2 hours from King’s Cross. But the journey for our Public Affairs team has actually taken a lot longer…

Back on 16 September 2013, 51 ideas for a new campaign had been submitted our Public Affairs team by WI members. These ideas, called resolutions, were on all manner of topics from state pensions to FGM and the regulation of funeral directors. From that point onwards, each idea was subject to a rigorous shortlisting process and the successful ones were put to members for their votes. By the time we got to the First Direct Arena on 7 June 2014, one idea was left standing. It was up to WI members to hear the arguments one last time and decide whether the WI should throw its weight behind this campaign.

And they did: the resolution passed with a 98% majority. The newest mandate in the WI’s 99-hear history reads:

The NFWI notes that three people die every day whilst waiting for an organ transplant. We call on every member of the WI to make their wishes regarding organ donation known, and to encourage their families and friends, and members of their local communities to do likewise.

Laureen Walker from Standon and Cotes WI proposed the idea, which was then seconded by Barbara Hidson of Codsall Wood WI. Sally Johnson, Director at NHS Blood and Transplant spoke for the resolution, while Georgia Testa, Lecturer in medical ethics at Leeds University, set out points for the opposition. Their quotes will give you a flavour of the debate:

“The major barrier to getting consent from families for transplants is that they often have no idea of the wishes of their relative…Statistics show that when families know that their loved ones want to donate their consent rate is 88%. When they don’t know it is only 46%.” Laureen Walker

“Will more open discussion translate the approval rate into numbers actually on the Organ Donation Register? There will still be people who just don’t get around to it, even if there is a climate in which family and friends discuss donation more openly and frequently.” Georgia Testa

“Letting families know what you've decided makes it much easier for them to support your decision to be a donor. The WI is renowned for achieving results. This resolution is down to you.”Barbara Hidson

“Every day, some one in this country who could be a donor dies, and their relatives, in the midst of grief, shock and distress, are asked to allow their loved one's organs to be used to save the life of someone they don't know. Imagine it was your relative: what would you say? If you hadn't talked about organ donation as a family, then it's quite likely you'd say no. You might think it was the safer option. You might come to regret that decision later. It would be so much easier if you knew what your relative wanted: if they wanted to be a donor then you could take comfort from that decision and be proud of them.

“We hope everyone in the UK will be proud to donate their organs, when and if they can. But we know this won't happen without some inspirational leadership. We are asking you to provide this leadership: to talk to your families, your friends and your communities so that no family is left to guess what their loved one wanted.” Sally Johnson

Many WI members spoke of their own donation stories, sharing experiences of being recipients of kidneys and corneas, or being a member of a family who was asked about donating the organs of a loved one. Others mentioned living wills and old donation wallet cards as ways to formalise family consent and get families talking. It was a thought-provoking and emotional debate.

So what happens now?

The NFWI Public Affairs team will begin working on a campaign based on the mandate so watch this space for updates on Time to Talk about Organ Donation.

The best thing about the WI resolutions process? Once we’ve got a mandate, we’ve got it forever. So in that way, the journey for a resolution never ends.