A report highlighting the emotional and mental turmoil of having to wait years for an organ transplant is being used to urge more people to become donors.

There are currently 47 people waiting for a kidney, liver, heart or other solid organ in Tower Hamlets.

The NHS Blood and Transplant group carried out research into the increased levels of frustration, anger and anxiety that arise from waiting for a life-saving operation in time for National Transplant Week which runs until July 10.

The average wait for an organ is three years but in multi-cultural areas like Tower Hamlets it can be longer.

People in the Asian community are three to four times more likely to need a transplant than the rest of the population because they are at a higher risk of developing diabetes or high blood pressure which can lead to kidney failure.

But donation rates are relatively low among black and South Asian communities, reducing the chance of a match being found.

Sally Johnson, NHSBT’s director for organ donation and transplantation, said: “We all know how frustrating it is to wait for something we want – be it a bus, exam results or a delivery at home – but our lives don’t depend on it. Imagine how it feels to be one of those waiting on average three years for a life saving organ transplant.”

The research showed that almost 40 per cent of Londoners thought the hardest thing to wait for would be an organ but only a quarter are registered donors.