MORE than 50 people have died in Essex due to a shortage of organs over the last four years, new figures have revealed.

According to the NHS Blood and Transplant Service, 173 more are still waiting for a transplant to take place in the county.

Now experts are urging people to sign the Organ Donor Register and talk about their wishes with loved ones to prevent grieving families blocking vital donations.

The campaign to ‘Pass It On’coincides with the start of National Transplant Week today.

Figures from the NHS Blood and Transplant Service reveal that while 95 per cent of families agree to a donation if it has been discussed, this drops to 46 per cent when donation wishes aren’t known.

Last year, 20 people had transplant operations in north Essex compared to 15 in 2009/10. There are 553,738 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register in Essex.

To join the register visit transplantweek.co.uk, call 0300 123 2323 or text DONATE to 62323.

• To encourage people to talk about donation, some of the UK’s best known communicators are showing the public how important and easy it is to ‘Pass It On’.

David Harewood, Kay Burley and Wil Johnson feature in a series of short, memorable films which inspire people to talk about organ donation with their loved ones.

Also supporting the campaign is Richard Branson, whose film highlights the need for people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

NHS Blood and Transplant is encouraging people to watch the films at youtube.com/transplantweek