Assessment and Recovery Centres programme

The Assessment and Recovery Centres (ARCs) programme was established in June 2025, following initial investment from The Department of Health and Social Care.

ARCs are a key recommendation of the Organ Utilisation Group's report 'honouring the gift of donation'.

What is an ARC?

An ARC is a place where donor organs not felt suitable to be immediately transplanted can be further assessed using a machine designed to support the organ outside the body. 

This technology, called ex situ machine perfusion, allows oxygen-rich fluid to be gently pumped around the organ whilst warming the organ to normal body temperature.

Organs will be retrieved and assessed for transplantation, extending their viability between donation and transplantation. In the future, organ function could be transformed and organs repaired.

What is the programme's objective?

The long-term vision of the ARCs Programme is to enable a national service comprised of 2 to 3 multi-organ ARC facilities. The ARC service has the potential to deliver up to 750 additional transplants per year (across lung, liver and kidney), once fully established. This national ARC service will drive further benefits including:

• National equitable access to perfused organs, to increase transplantation across all centres
• Reduced time for patients on the transplant wait list and improved patient outcomes
• Reduced organ declines due to logistics
• Improved workforce sustainability

What is the programme's current focus?

Currently the ARCs programme is in the identify and define phase, to identify the clinical service model and target operating model.

This includes setting up pilots with the transplant community throughout 2026 that will deliver additional transplant activity.