BUSES are turning purple in a bid to get people talking about organ donation.

Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has commissioned four buses to be painted with organ donation messages to encourage people in Greater Manchester to talk about their wishes.

The purple buses which read 'Stuck in traffic? Use your time positively, think about your organ donation wishes and tell your loved ones', are operating on routes around the trust's four hospitals, including Fairfield General Hospital.

Keely Hart, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We want people to see our bus adverts and start a conversation with their relatives and loved ones, about organ donation and what their wishes would be.

“Many people don’t know that when they die, their family will be asked to support whatever decision they have made about organ donation. Sharing your wishes with your family now will protect them from having to make a choice they aren’t sure of in the future.

“You can also record that decision to help others by joining the Organ Donor register. It is simple and only takes two minutes to do, and you could help save the lives of up to nine other people.”

The Trust Organ Donation Committee came up with the idea to use buses because they reach a wide and diverse audience, including bus passengers, drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

As the adverts are constantly on the move, it is hoped the adverts will catch the public’s eye and get them talking.

In Greater Manchester, 36 people died last year on the transplant waiting list, including a case where a patient was removed from the list due to deterioration and then died within the year.

There are currently 531 people waiting for a transplant in the region and there are 887,649 people on the area's NHS Organ Donor Register.

Dr Andrew Drummond, consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: "Consideration of organ donation should be a normal part of end of life care in those who are in a position to donate.

"Pennine Acute has an excellent track record of supporting potential donors at the end of their lives.

"If people tell their families they want to donate, that makes the decision a lot easier when their families are grieving."