More than 1,000 people have donated organs after death in the year since laws were changed.
Following legislation passed last May, all adults in England are seen as willing to donate their organs unless they opt out or are in one of the excluded groups, but families must also give confirmation.
Similar legislation to England’s opt-out system was introduced in Wales in 2015 and in Scotland in March this year.
From the time the change came into force until April 30 this year, 1,021 people had donated their organs and 296 had their consent “deemed” due to not having expressed a decision, according to NHS Blood and Transplant.
John Forsythe, medical director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said the “careful plans” medics had made to introduce the donation law had to be “quickly reset” amid coronavirus.
He said: “In the early days of the pandemic, many of our specialist organ donation nurses volunteered to help care for patients with Covid in intensive care – training and other preparations for the new law had to be fitted around this.
“To see such a positive and heart-warming response from the public, especially those families facing the very worst news, in some of the hardest circumstances, is such an incredible testament to the strength of those families.
“Many have told us how organ donation offered comfort in an otherwise tragic situation.”
Fiona Loud, policy director at Kidney Care UK, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has been very hard for patients, most of whom have had to isolate for the last year. This encouraging news gives the hope and optimism that so many people need to keep them going.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The law reflects the majority of the public’s views that organ donation is the right thing to do, providing hope and comfort for families in some of the hardest moments of their lives.
“On this one-year anniversary, I continue to encourage everyone to talk openly about donation with their friends and family, and thank each and every person who has made their views known.”
Since April 2016, 2,433 people across the UK have died while waiting for an organ transplant.
