BLACK and ethnic minority communities in East Lancashire are being encouraged to enrol on the organ donation scheme — to potentially save more lives in the near future.

Just five per cent of all deceased donors come from such backgrounds, which has prompted the NHS Blood and Transplant service to issue an urgent appeal.

Health chiefs say 74 people across the county benefitted from an organ donation over the past year. But another 13 patients died while awaiting an operation.

And with a current waiting list of 153 in Lancashire for a similar operation, it has never been more timely to sign up for a donor card.

Sally Johnson, the service’s organ donation director, said: “It is especially important for people from our black and Asian communities to talk about organ donation. I realise that this is a very difficult subject but there are many black and Asian people who need a transplant.

“While some are able to receive an organ from a white donor, others will die if there is no donor from their own community.”

As Organ Donation Week begins on Monday, she said: “Talking to your relatives about what you want is crucial as it is much more difficult to agree to donation when you don’t know what the patient would have wanted.”

People can join the NHS Organ Donor Register by visiting www.organdonation.nhs.uk online or by calling the service on 0300 123 2323.