Role of Transplant Recipient Co-ordinator
The role of the Recipient Transplant Coordinator is to support and guide the recipient through their transplant pathway. Transplant Co-ordination begins when a patient is referred to a Transplant Unit for consideration of an organ transplant and follows the recipient though the whole process into long term post transplant follow up care.
The Recipient Transplant Coordinator may be involved in part or all of the process, this may include:
- Discussing the referred patient at an MDT meeting
- First telephone contact with the patient
- Visiting the local dialysis units to deliver one to one or group sessions
- Gathering information ready for the patients’ assessment
- Organising the transplant assessment
- Talking to and educating the patient and their family about transplantation
- Collating the results from assessment investigations
- Being a point of contact for the patient at all stages of the assessment
- Being present at the consent consultation
- Preparing the patient for listing
- Listing the patient on the transplant waiting list
- Monitoring the patient whilst listed
- Suspending the patient from the waiting list when necessary
- Coordinating the transplant operation
- Post transplant education before discharge from the hospital
- Preparing the recipient and their family for discharge
- Telephone advice post transplant
- Monitoring the recipient in clinic post transplant
There are over 250 recipient transplant coordinators in the UK based at 27 transplanting units.
Recipient coordination representation on the Solid Organ Advisory Groups
Solid organ advisory groups exist for every solid organ transplant community and consist of representation from all transplanting units, referral centres, statisticians, lead Specialist Nurses - Organ Donation (SN-ODs), UK recipient coordinator representatives, commissioning, and specialist services such as Histopathology and Immunology. Currently the solid organ advisory groups meet twice a year and have working groups that may meet more regularly.
Two Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators representatives in the UK have been identified to attend the relevant solid organ advisory group for each solid organ group. Their role is to act as a conduit of information from all their fellow Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators in the UK and represent them at the meeting and then feedback information that has been decided at the group that will have implications for the UK Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators. These roles have two-four year tenure and they are given the support of their line manager to attend these meetings.
Information the donor family and recipient are entitled to know
On Call and Taking Organ Offers
Approximately 80% of UK recipient coordinators contribute to a 24hour on call organ offerring on call service for their transplant services. For all the appropriate guidelines please see the following sections within the transplant section:
Further information