“If you’re of Asian ethnicity then you’re half as likely to say yes to donation, but around twice as likely to need a transplant – and that’s the health inequality we are facing.”
Mahmud Nawaz, chair of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, speaks with the force of lived grief. He became an organ donation ambassador after his wife’s donated organs saved four lives.
Now, as Sheffield prepares to host the Westfield Health British Transplant Games next summer, Mahmud says the latest figures expose a crisis that Britain can no longer afford to ignore.
New figures from NHS Blood and Transplant reveal a brutal surge: the number of Asian patients on the UK organ transplant waiting list has rocketed by 92% in just four years, from 759 in 2020-21 to 1,460 in 2024-25. The national waiting list has now crossed 8,000 for the first time.
The imbalance is stark. People of Asian ethnicity are far more likely to need a transplant, yet far less likely to become donors.
Only 3.9% of deceased organ donors in the UK are Asian.
Family consent rates stand at 32.9%, compared with 63% among white donors. Nearly two-thirds of Asian patients placed on the waiting list wait at least a year for a transplant.
Into this emergency steps Sheffield, which will host the British Transplant Games from 6th to 9th August 2026, welcoming more than 2,500 competitors, including over 1,000 transplant recipients, across 26 sports.
Organisers hope the multi-sport event will become a catalyst for change, particularly within Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, where overall donation rates are estimated at just 7%.
“The Westfield Health British Transplant Games has a powerful role to play in bringing together diverse communities,” Mahmud said.
“People can see the benefits of organ donation first-hand and be inspired to support it, regardless of faith.
“That support means signing the NHS Organ Donor Register and having the conversation with loved ones. If you were to die, the consent to donate your organs passes on to them. A simple conversation, or a quick signing of the register, could save up to nine lives.”
The Games will showcase the healthy, fulfilling lives that transplant recipients can lead, while also providing a moment to thank live donors and donor families for their life-changing generosity. At the official launch event in Sheffield, recipients and donors shared their own stories of survival, resilience and second chances.
Now in its 48th year, the British Transplant Games is the flagship event of Transplant Active, a charity that promotes active recovery after transplantation and raises awareness of organ donation nationwide.
Dr Paul Harden, chair of Transplant Active, said the rising waiting list underlined the urgency of the message. “One person can save up to nine lives,” he said.
“That becomes real when you hear first-hand from recipients about how a transplant has allowed them to live healthy lives, and when you meet the donors and families who made that possible.
“We also face the heartbreaking reality that around 1,000 people die each year while waiting for a transplant. That’s why it’s vital people sign the NHS Organ Donor Register and follow it up with a conversation with loved ones.”
Many of the Games’ events will take place in and around Sheffield’s Olympic Legacy Park, with organisers hoping the city will become a national focal point for dialogue around donation.
Steve Purdham, chairman of Westfield Health, said the Games were about more than sport. “In August, we’re not just hosting an event – we’re igniting a movement,” he said.
“The gift of life begins with a conversation. Telling your loved ones you want to be a donor is what turns intention into action.”
Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, chair of economic development, skills and culture at Sheffield City Council, said hosting the Games again, having last welcomed them in 2013, was both an honour and a responsibility.
“They are a celebration of life, resilience and community,” he said.
“We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of athletes and supporters from across the UK.”
For Mahmud, the message is simple and urgent. “This gap is costing lives,” he said. “And it can be closed by ordinary people taking one small, powerful step.”
At a glance – the numbers behind the crisis
- 92% rise in Asian patients on the UK transplant waiting list in four years
- 8,000+ people now waiting for an organ transplant in the UK
- Only 3.9% of deceased organ donors are Asian
- Family consent rates: Asian families – 32.9%, White families – 63%
- Nearly 63% of Asian patients wait at least one year for a transplant
- Donation rates among Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities – just 7%
- Around 1,000 people die each year while waiting for a transplant
- One donor can save up to nine lives
