Hospice patients asked to consider corneal donation, following national shortage

A national shortage of corneas to help people with sight loss has prompted St Leonard’s Hospice in York to take action. As many patients in hospice settings are eligible to be tissue donors upon their death, the York Hospice has launched a campaign to raise awareness of corneal donation, helping patients and their families to understand what this entails.

Nicola Fenton, Advanced Clinical Practitioner at St Leonard’s Hospice, explained: “We know that more than two million people in the UK live with sight loss and some conditions can be treated with corneal donations. Around 5,000 corneal transplants are needed every year in the UK, so we want to help with this.

“Here at St Leonard’s, we are working with NHS blood and transplant to encourage people to consider this as an option when they come to the Hospice.

“A study found that many people think they can’t donate, but there are many who can, so we are having conversations as part of our advance care planning. Poor eyesight, medical conditions including cancer, and old age aren’t barriers to donating your corneas. There’s a real shortage of donors and giving the gift of sight to someone else can be amazing.  One donor can improve the sight of up to ten people and this is something patients can do up to 24 hours from death, either in the Hospice or the funeral home.”

Nicola added: “The process of corneal donation involves removing the eye, but a reconstruction is done immediately so this is not obvious. If a patient would like to go ahead, we then contact the NHS blood and transplant team to inform them that this is their wish.

“The family can get to know who they have helped, which is often really comforting to them. It really is a wonderful legacy and gift to help others and is all down to patient choice.”

“At the Hospice, we aim to give our patients the opportunity to donate their corneas if they choose to, by providing them with all the information that they might need to make an informed decision,” said Nicola.

Anyone who wants to find out more about cornea donation, please visit the NHS organ donation website: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/helping-you-to-decide/about-organ-donation/what-can-you-donate/about-cornea-donation/