Transplant collaboratives

Transplant collaboratives focus on increasing organ utilisation through inter-unit collaboration.

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Background

Transplant collaboratives were formally established in 2018 (starting with kidney transplantation), after a successful resilience summit demonstrated the need for more cohesive working between UK transplant units.

The initial aim of the collaboratives was to resolve key issues in service provision within a region. This includes developing a collaborative solution to the increasing workload within transplantation, while building on already established collaboration between transplant professionals.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the collaboratives enabled rapid regional decision making. They facilitated the availability of mutual aid to sustain transplantation while protecting patients from COVID-19 infection.

As the threat of COVID-19 gradually receded, the clinical team in Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation (OTDT) decided to build on the lessons learnt and expand formalised collaborative working across the UK.

The 2023 Organ Utilisation Group report, 'Honouring the gift of donation', recognised the need for transplant collaboratives with the following recommendation:

Transplant units must build on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and increase further the collaborative effort across units.

Aims and benefits of transplant collaboratives

Transplant collaboratives aim to provide an opportunity for transplant professionals of all backgrounds to work together with patients.

This helps to address ongoing challenges around resilience and capacity within organ transplantation, while making sure every donated organ is utilised. These principles are essential to make sure no patient misses out on the opportunity of transplantation.

Transplant collaboratives focus on promoting best practice by developing shared patient pathways and focussing on the whole patient journey. They aim to address health inequalities and inequity of access, while reducing unwarranted variation and improving patient outcomes.

The benefits of transplant collaboratives include:

Closer collaboration

Transplant collaboratives allow us to:

  • develop resilience in services
  • address variation in access to transplantation, and subsequent outcomes
  • regional promulgation of best practice
  • build a sustainable workforce, as well as attract new talent
  • develop standardised processes, pathways and protocols to reduce variation

Improved organ utilisation

Transplant collaboratives allow us to:

  • better understand organ declines and barriers to utilisation
  • deliver strategies to overcome organ utilisation challenges
  • embrace new technologies for maximising organ utilisation
  • develop shared patient pathways to improve service quality

Better outcomes

Transplant collaboratives allow us to:

  • ensure early referral of patients with organ failure
  • improve long term graft survival
  • effectively manage patients with declining organ function
  • encourage adoption of innovative technologies to improve outcomes for staff and patients

Structure of the regional collaboratives

Each regional collaborative is led by a chair and deputy chair who guide a steering group of local healthcare professionals, supported by patients, to deliver region-specific workplans. The local steering group meet on a regular basis to achieve local goals.

Gareth Jones, Consultant Nephrologist at the Royal Free London, is the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) OTDT Clinical Lead for Transplant Collaboratives. He supports the chairs and deputy chairs in developing and shaping their workplans.

The chairs and deputies of each steering committee will feed back to the national steering group of OTDT directors, patient groups and commissioners on a biannual basis.

Governance of the collaboratives

Each regional transplant collaborative, led by a chair and deputy chair, is responsible for setting its own workplan.

The leadership of each Transplant Collaborative will meet on an annual basis, alongside NHSBT, third sector, patient and commissioning, and clinical advisory group representatives, as well as other appropriate colleagues, to review progress and to help set the workplan for the year ahead.

Download the governance map for Transplant Collaboratives (PDF 64KB)

Key contacts and resources

If you would like to hear more about NHSBT’s work in establishing the transplant collaboratives, or our work in supporting the implementation of the Organ Utilisation Group recommendations, please contact the Organ Utilisation Development Team.

You may also find the following resources useful: