Dating app encourages organ donation

Dating app Tinder has partnered with NHS Blood and Transplant to raise awareness about organ donations.

Users of the app that swipe on a special icon will be made aware that some people are searching for a different kind of a match – a donor match – and encouraged to sign up to donate their organs.

Some celebrity Tinder users will have the icon on their profile page with the aim of targetting 18-35 year-old users.

Users who swipe right will match with these profiles and receive a message that says "If only it was that easy for those in need of a life saving organ to find a match": then encouraged to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Sally Johnson, Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant said the partnership with Tinder is about educating and encouraging people to sign up for organ donation.

“While a third of the UK population have registered their intention to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register, millions more support donation but haven't taken the final step to sign up.

“With the help of these bespoke profiles on Tinder, we'll grab people's attention and throw a spotlight on the importance of organ donation. Joining the register takes only a couple of minutes – about the same amount of time as a few swipes on Tinder."

Hermione Way, Tinder's head of European communications said: " Tinder users regularly make the decision to swipe left or right wondering whether someone may be the person they are looking for.

“While those swiping decisions are important and could be the first step to a successful relationship, we hope that the NHS profiles will encourage people to make and act upon a different decision too – to sign up as an organ donor."