At least 133 people in Kent have died waiting for life-saving organs to become available in the last 10 years, according to figures released today.

NHS bosses are putting the deadly shortage down to people being reluctant about talking about donating.

The statistics have been released by NHS Blood and Transplant to mark the start of Organ Donation Week, which starts today.

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Despite this the number of people from Kent currently on the NHS Organ Donation register stands at 691,000.

It has also been revealed 137 patients in the county are waiting for a transplant.

The only way these patients will be able to receive the life-saving organs is if family members are made aware of a loved one's wish for them to be an organ donor.

Families who have agreed to donate say it has helped them with their grief.

James Broughton, who is a specialist nurse in organ donation for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, said: "A lot of these patients are having to come in to hospital three or four times a week for several hours and it puts great stress on their life.

"I've recently written to a family when a patient had been waiting for 12-and-a-half years where as some can wait for a month to two months."

When asked how long a patient would have to wait for an organ today compared to this time last year, Mr Broughton said: "Hopefully you'd wait less time because donation has been improving by about 75%.

"Getting the best possible match is important, so that can be one of the large factors of a wait.

"I was just having a look at the stats and 44% of the population of Kent is on the register.

"Of course we want more people. The important thing is to talk about it."

A survey by NHS Blood and Transplant has shown more than 80% of people support organ donation but only around 49% of people have spoken about it with their family.

This is essential as relatives must still give consent for a loved one's organs to be donated once they have passed away.

Assistant director of organ donation and transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, Anthony Clarkson, said: "It’s a tragedy that people are dying unnecessarily every year in Kent waiting for transplants.

"We know that if everyone who supported donation talked about it and agreed to donate, most of those lives would be saved.

"This Organ Donation Week, tell your family you want to save lives.

"A few words now can make an extraordinary difference.

"It will also make things much easier for your family to make the right decision.

"If you want to save lives, don’t leave it too late to talk to your family.

"In Kent there are more than 691,000 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

"However, if you want to be a donor, your family’s support is still needed for donation to go ahead.

"If you are unsure about donation, please ask yourselves as a family; what would you do if one of you needed a transplant?

"Would you accept a life-saving organ? If you’d take an organ, shouldn’t you be prepared to donate?"