plant , ▁currently ▁rising ▁by ▁about ▁ 8 % ▁a ▁year . ▁Over ▁the ▁last ▁five ▁years , ▁UK ▁Department ▁of ▁Health ▁fund ing ▁- ▁£ 4 . 1 6 mill ion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 / 0 7 ▁- ▁has ▁supported ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁initi atives ▁to ▁increase ▁don or ▁rates . ▁Living ▁don or ▁and ▁non - heart be ating ▁don or ▁rates ▁have ▁ris en ▁significantly ▁in ▁recent ▁years . ▁However , ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁don ation ▁by ▁heart be ating ▁( de ath ▁established ▁through ▁brain ▁stem ▁testing ) ▁don ors ▁( the ▁main ▁source ▁of ▁don or ▁org ans ) ▁has ▁remained ▁steady ▁at ▁best . ▁Over ▁ 1 4 ▁million ▁people ▁- ▁some ▁ 2 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁- ▁have ▁now ▁registered ▁on ▁the ▁UK ▁Organ ▁Don or ▁Register . ▁In ▁the ▁UK ▁between ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁and ▁ 3 1 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 7 : ▁ 3 , 0 8 6 ▁organ ▁trans pl ants ▁were ▁carried ▁out , ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁gener os ity ▁of ▁ 1 , 4 9 5 ▁don ors . ▁ 9 4 9 ▁lives ▁were ▁saved ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁through ▁a ▁heart , ▁lung , ▁li ver ▁or ▁combined ▁heart / l ungs , ▁li ver / k id ney , ▁li ver / pan cre as ▁or ▁heart / k id ney ▁trans plant . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 , 1 3 7 ▁patients ▁received ▁a ▁kid