More people come forward to be living organ donors

New figures from the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) show that the number of people who want to donate an organ in life has increased for the second year running.

Issue date: 16 June 2010

The HTA regulates living donation through a system of independent assessment and it received 1,143 reports for consideration in the period 1 April 2009 –31 March 2010:

• 1,091 reports were for genetically / emotionally directed donations
• 29 reports were paired or pooled donation cases
• 23 reports were altruistic cases. This represents nearly a 50 per cent increase from 2008 / 2009. Geographical trends were also echoed from last year with seven potential donors hailing from the South West of England

This year, the HTA approved 1,140 organ donations out of the 1,143 reports submitted for consideration. There were also several landmarks. These included a 50 per cent increase in the number of altruistic kidney donations and the HTA’s 3,000th living organ donation approval. The HTA also approved the first three-way organ transplant in the UK.

The figures are published in the HTA’s Annual Review for 2009 / 10 ‘Making a Difference’, which launched on 15 June at the HTA’s annual conference at The Law Society.

In 2008 / 09 the HTA approved 1,058 living donations compared with 1,000 in 2007 / 08.

The trend looks set to continue. In April and May 2010 there has been an increase in all requests for approvals compared to the same period last year.

Since being established in 2006, the HTA has enabled a more flexible approach to who can donate to whom, so that more people can benefit from a living-donor transplant.

Vassilios Papalois, Consultant Transplant Surgeon at Hammersmith Hospital, says: “Before patients become involved in transplant operations, Independent Assessors (IAs) make sure they understand the potential risks. The HTA coordinates this process in an objective, supportive and efficient way. Communication and confidence are paramount...The HTA protects the interests of those involved in transplants, and the reputation of transplantation in the UK.”

Vicki Chapman, Director of Policy and Compliance at the HTA said: “The continued rise in living donation is very encouraging and has exceeded our expectations.”

ENDS

For more information, please contact Andy Keast-Marriott, Interim Senior Media Adviser at the HTA, on 020 7211 3439, andy.keast-marriott@hta.gov.uk or Fiona McKinson, Communications Officer at the HTA, on 020 7211 3460 or fiona.mckinson@hta.gov.uk

Notes to editors 

• Figures for approval by the HTA since 2006 are as follows:

• Because of the time lag between HTA approval being given and the transplant operation taking place, the total number of transplants that went ahead differs from approval numbers. See the NHSBT website for statistics on the actual number of transplants which have taken place.
• The HTA is responsible for the approval of all living organ donation through an independent assessment process. NHSBT is responsible for the matching and allocation process.
• A range of resources for journalists are available on this website
• Genetically related donation is where the potential donor is a blood relative of the potential recipient.  Emotionally related donation is where the potential donor has a relationship with the potential recipient, for example, spouse, partner, or close friend.
• Paired donation is where a relative, friend or partner is fit and able to donate an organ but is incompatible with the potential recipient, and they are matched with another donor and recipient in a similar situation, so that both people in need of a transplant receive a compatible organ
• Pooled donation is a form of paired donation whereby the pair are matched with other donors and recipients from a pool of pairs in similar situations and more than two donors and two recipients are  involved in the swap, so that more than two people in need of a transplant receive a compatible organ
• Altruistic non-directed donation is a form of living donation whereby an organ (usually a kidney) or part organ (for example liver or lung lobe) is donated by a healthy person who does not have a relationship with the recipient and who is not informed whom the recipient will be.
• The HTA is continuously improving our advice and guidance for professionals and the public. During the year, we provided training for transplant professionals at the IA conference, and published revised guidance for transplant teams and IAs, which reflects our new code of practice. We also launched a new online submissions system for transplant approvals.
• The HTA is a watchdog that supports public confidence by licensing organisations that store and use human tissue for purposes such as research, patient treatment, post-mortem examination, teaching, and public exhibitions. We also give approval for organ and bone marrow donations from living people.
• The HTA works under two laws: the Human Tissue Act 2004 (HT Act) and the Human Tissue (Quality and Safety for Human Application) Regulations 2007 (Q&S Regulations). The HT Act applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own law called the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006, but the HTA was asked by the Scottish Government to approve transplants from living donors and license organisations that use human tissue to treat patients, on its behalf.
• Between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010, 50 cases were referred to a panel of HTA Authority Members for decision. Such panels convene on complex or novel cases and also paired, pooled and altruistic cases.
• The HTA leaflet ‘Information about living donor-transplants’ gives more information about the role of the HTA in approving organ donations from living people. The leaflet is available from this website.