NHSBT Organ Retrieval Virtual and Cadaveric Masterclass 2026/27

Information about the next Virtual and Cadaveric Organ Retrieval Masterclass can be found below:

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) NORS Organ Retrieval Virtual Masterclass, November 4 to 5, 2026

NHSBT NORS Cadaveric Masterclass, February 2027

Registration details coming soon

View last year's UK Organ Retrieval Masterclass programmes using the links below. There will be a newly designed course following continuous improvements and feedback.

The programme for the NORS Organ Retrieval Cadaveric Masterclass 2026 is currently undergoing minor changes based on feedback and will be available soon.

Why attend the masterclass?

In the UK, the National Organ Retrieval Service (NORS) teams retrieve organs from donors on behalf of transplant centres. The level of skills possessed by NORS team members has a significant bearing on organ quality, organ damage and transplant outcomes.

Attending the Organ Retrieval Masterclass helps to develop delegates and equips them with the knowledge and skills required to work within a NORS team based in the UK.

A step-by-step teaching approach in abdominal and cardiothoracic retrieval with expert retrieval surgeons and practitioners will be complemented by cutting edge demonstrations of emerging technologies.

About the course

The NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Virtual Masterclass is open to both UK and International delegates. Course fees are listed below.

The Cadaveric Retrieval Masterclass is open to UK delegates (Perioperative and surgical only). It is essential to complete the 2 day NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Virtual Masterclass course prior to completing the NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Cadaveric Masterclass.

Should demand exceed availability, priority for the NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Cadaveric Masterclass will be given to surgeons who intend to lead a UK NORS Team and gain full registration with NHSBT as a NORS surgeon. Further priority will be given to surgeons with less retrieval experience.

To manage the various priorities, all registrants for the NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Cadaveric Masterclass will secure their place on the waiting list with payment. Final allocation will be made according to availability and refunds will be provided where appropriate if a place is not allocated.

Both the NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Virtual Masterclass and the NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Cadaveric Masterclass are considered gold standard and therefore mandatory for those seeking full registration as a NORS surgeon. The Cambridge NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Cadaveric Masterclass is a contemporary state of the art learning opportunity, and we aim to meet the training and development needs of the transplant community. The 2026 masterclass evaluated extremely well at Cambridge and we are pleased to be heading back to make use of their facilities.

If you require further information, please contact: Professional.DevelopmentODT@nhsbt.nhs.uk

Who is the course for?

The course will be aimed at practitioners with an interest in abdominal (liver, pancreas, kidney) and cardiothoracic (heart, lung) organ retrieval and transplantation.

UK surgeons seeking full registration with NHSBT to lead their NORS team
Surgeons with an interest in solid organ retrieval from deceased donors
Healthcare professionals with an interest in organ donation, organ retrieval and organ preservation such as perioperative practitioners, perfusion specialists and intensivists
Donor hospital theatre and critical care staff including link nurses

Course fees

NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Virtual Masterclass

To obtain course certification, you must attend the 3 day masterclass.

It is essential to complete the 2 day course prior to completing the Cadaveric Masterclass.

3 day course (certificate)

Surgeon (UK and International) - £400
Surgeon (working in IHPBA low income country) - £100
Surgeon Refresher* - No fee
Perioperative/Perfusionist - £175
Perioperative/Perfusionist Refresher* - No fee
CLOD/RCLOD/TROD/Intensivists - £175
Recipient Coordinator/Nurse (non-NHSBT) - £175
NHSBT Specialist Nurses (SNOD/SR/PDSN) - no fee

*previously attended a 3 day NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Virtual Masterclass.

Day 1 only

CLOD/RCLOD/TROD/Intensivists - no fee
Recipient Coordinator - no fee
Nurse (non-NHSBT) - no fee
NHSBT Specialist Nurses (SNOD/SR/PDSN) - no fee
NHSBT/non-clinical - no fee

NHSBT NORS Organ Retrieval Cadaveric Masterclass

Delegate feedback from 2025 and previous courses

Feedback from 2025

Day 1 - "Very well structured and detailed yet pretty concise."

Day 2 - "Highly detailed and relevant presentations with good insights from very experienced faculty."

Day 3 - "Very informative and amazed by a lot of new techs available to use for perfusion."

Breakout rooms - "Good discussions and great idea to keep interaction possible."

"It was really great attending the course with faculty showing each and every step and delegates repeating it."

"It was really helpful for the AB teams to see how to retrieve the heart for valves."

"Absolutely invaluable experience being present and to learn detailed steps for TA-NRP retrieval! Thank you!"

"ANRP and TA-NRP, learnt a great deal and in detail. Should be a part of a regular course."

"ANRP protocol and execution was very clear. As discussed in the course TA-NRP protocol was not entirely clear as it's still a work in progress."

"ANRP was new and lots of hazy areas around that, but faculty did great presentations, demonstrations and further pointed out the promising date behind the evidence of success, found great."

"At our table we were extremely impressed by the faculty member acting as our mentor. He was not only knowledgeable, but extremely adaptable; listening to what normal practise was at Oxford, and teaching techniques accordingly. This particularly came in to play during the final stages of dissection and removal of organs."

Feedback from before 2025

"A fantastic 3 days. Well done to everyone giving their time to present, answer questions and the organisers behind the scenes."

"Many thanks for the very informative course. I will recommend to my colleagues to attend for better understanding of NORS."

"Fantastic masterclass overall, great visual aid and lectures from all dedicated NORs members involved over the 3 day period with the cadaver video being extremely poignant. Thank you!"

"Clear explanation of how to manage retrieval in a good and humane way and respect of our donor organ and their family."

"Entire course programme well structured, well delivered."

"Great choice of topics, way of delivering, organisation and mixture of theory and practice."

"Excellent Organisation Thank you."

"The retrieval video and discussion should definitely be included in future NORS Virtual Masterclasses; this was extremely useful as well as interactive and engaging.”

"I thought this was an exceptionally good course which has enhanced my knowledge and ability."

Enquiries

If you have an informal enquiry, please contact the Professional Development Team