The pink organ donation flag will fly at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, each time a person becomes a donor in Lincolnshire.
Dr Gary Wilbourn, Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthesia and Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (ULTH), said: “By raising a flag in Boston and Lincoln with their loved ones consent, we will honour the decision made to give the gift of life through organ donation each time it happens in our hospitals.
“We hope it will signify an opportunity to reflect on the life-changing impact being an organ donor has on all involved, including the donor, those recipients who may have been waiting a long time to receive an organ, their families and friends, and our NHS colleagues involved in their care.
“It is also a welcome tribute alongside the existing organ donation memorial trees, which can be found in the main entrances of our hospitals in Boston and Lincoln.”
The flags have been purchased thanks to the support of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity. The charity provides additional items not funded through NHS budgets.
During 2024/25, Lincolnshire’s hospital teams supported seven families to donate the organs of their loved ones. This resulted in 21 other people being able to receive a potentially life-saving organ transplant.
There are currently more than 8,000* people waiting for a transplant in the UK.
Since May 2020, England has used an opt-out system for organ donation. This means you will be considered to have agreed to become an organ donor when you die if you are over 18, you have not opted out or are in an excluded group.
Individuals still have a choice whether or not to become an organ donor and can register or amend their decision on the NHS Organ Donator Register. People are encouraged to share their decision with their family and loved ones.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are proud to see Lincolnshire’s hospitals flying the organ donation flag to honour the remarkable generosity of those who have saved lives through donation. Each flag raised is a powerful symbol of hope, compassion and the lasting legacy of donors and their families.
“These tributes not only acknowledge the incredible gift of organ donation but also help to raise vital awareness about the importance of sharing your decision with loved ones. We thank all those involved in supporting organ donation in Lincolnshire, across the country and the NHS.”
