New service is boosting eye donations and setting sights on changing lives
This week is organ donation week (22-28 September) and a pioneering eye donation service in Essex has tripled the number of corneas donated for transplant in just a few months, offering more patients the chance of having their sight restored.
Since launching across Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in April this year, IORbIT has meant the donation of 42 pairs of corneas, compared to just 13 pairs in the whole of last year, a three-fold increase.
The service is led by the Trust’s bereavement nursing team, in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant, who identify patients who have passed away in hospital who may be suitable donors. It then supports compassionate conversations with families about eye donation.
This work is vital because the UK faces a national shortage of corneas, with patients waiting up to 18 months for a transplant.
Laura Cook, Bereavement and Tissue Donation Clinical Nurse Specialist, highlighted the impact. She said: “Just one donated cornea can help up to three people - so more than 120 lives could already benefit from donations made in Essex this year. With the size of our Trust, we believe we could reach up to 200 pairs of corneas a year.”
Unlike with the donation of solid organs, corneas must be retrieved within a very short window after death. But almost anyone can donate - age, eyesight issues, and many medical conditions (including cancer) are not barriers.
One member of the team, Kelly Baker, brings a deeply personal connection to the service. Kelly was working as a gynaecology nurse at Broomfield Hospital when her mum passed away in 2023.
She said: “My mum always carried a donor card, which I found fascinating. I didn’t know much about eye donation at the time, but after mum died, I got a letter from NHS Blood and Transplant saying that her corneas had helped three people. It was so lovely to know she gave others the gift of sight.”
Inspired by the experience, Kelly later joined the hospital’s bereavement team where she is now the Lead Bereavement Officer, supporting other families through donation conversations.
Laura went onto explain that there are challenges to donating and this is why awareness weeks such as this are so important. She said: “Some families feel uneasy about donating their loved one’s eyes. Even people who are happy to donate organs may hesitate about their eyes.
“That’s why early conversations are so important - it helps families make informed decisions at a difficult time. Even if you’re not able to donate organs, your corneas could still transform someone’s life.”
Find out more about organ and tissue donation
Right now, over 8000 people in the UK are waiting for a lifesaving transplant and it is estimated that one person on the waiting list will die every day. Registering as an organ and tissue donor takes just two minutes to do online or by calling 0300 123 23 23.