70 Years of the NHS in Scotland

On the 70th Anniversary of the NHS in Scotland, around 550 people in Scotland are waiting for an organ or tissue transplant

Since 1999, 545 Scottish donors who had registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register provided 1520 life-saving and life-improving transplants.

The first UK living donor kidney transplant was performed in 1960 at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.  Since then, substantial progress has been made in both surgical techniques and immunosuppressive drug therapy.  As a result, transplant success rates have improved dramatically, and thousands of receiptients of kidneys, hearts, livers, lungs and tissue have been granted both longer and healthier lives.

Over 2.5 million people in Scotland have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register, giving hope to those who are waiting for a transplant.  This is 48% of the population in Scotland and the highest total ever recorded.

Facilitating donations and transplants is a great responsibility and staff across NHSScotland are to be commended for their continued dedication to saving and improving lives.