Strengthening Living Organ Donation Approvals (SLODA)

Living organ donation is one of the most sensitive and important areas of our work. Through the SLODA project, we’re taking a fresh look at how approvals work and how we can strengthen this vital regulatory function.

The HTA has a statutory duty to make a decision for all living organ donations in the UK. In 2025/26, we approved 1,165 cases, providing assurance that donors are making informed, voluntary decisions, free from coercion, duress or reward.

Each case involves extensive clinical assessment, an independent assessment and HTA approval before donation can proceed. 

Independent Assessors play a key role; interviewing donors and recipients before providing structured reports to us.

SLODA was launched in April to explore how we can better identify and address evolving risks. The first ‘Discovery’ phase is now complete, giving a clearer picture of what is working well and highlighting opportunities to improve. 

In Discovery we found:

• overall, the process works well, providing strong assurance;
• we can further strengthen regulatory confidence;
• greater consistency could support both effectiveness and efficiency; and
• the approvals process should keep evolving as risks and opportunities change.

That last point is the most important as the landscape for donations, both clinical and the way people meet and connect for the purpose of organ donation continues to evolve.

During the second half of 2026/27 we will turn those insights into practical options for implementation in 2027/28. Our priority is strengthening the effectiveness, consistency and focus of the Independent Assessor regime, complemented by a raft of other improvements, and capturing ideas for longer term digital or IT-enabled innovation for further consideration.

We are grateful for all the input and insight we have already received from stakeholders and will continue to test and refine our range of options before any implementation decision is taken.