4 January 2012
Reimbursement Policy Consultation
Reimbursement Background Consultation
28 December 2011
NICE - Organ donation for transplantation Improving donor identification and consent rates for deceased organ donation
The Organ Donation Taskforce Implementation Programme’s Final Report, 2011
NHS Atlas of variation maps
An Ethical framework for controlled donation after circulatory death-Full Report
An Ethical framework for controlled donation after circulatory death-executive summary
20 December 2011 BTS comments
BTS comments on HTA framework document
BTS response to Consultation on Regulations to Transpose Directive
24 October 2011 The Role of Emergency Medicine in Organ Donation
This document reports on a Workshop held on October 4th 2010 between representatives of Emergency Medicine, critical care, Specialist Nurses in Organ Donation and transplantation surgery.
11 October 2011 Human bodies: donation for medicine and research
The latest report from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Human bodies: donation for medicine and research is published today.
12 September 2011 Policy on acceptance of organs from deceased donors
A draft policy on the responsibilities of clinicians with respect to the acceptance of organs from deceased donors is now available for comment. Please return any comments / feedback to Chris Watson by 30th September 2011.
31 August 2011 Networks for children's health services
The nephrology networks paper has now been launched, 'Improving the standard of care of children with kidney disease through paediatric nephrology networks'. Please click here to view.
17 August 2011 Consensus document on the use of generic immunosuppressants
The ESPIRIT group has produced new guidance for the use of generic immunosuppressants which may be accessed here.
17 March 2011 Guidelines for Consent for Solid Organ Transplantation in Adults
The NHSBT/BTS Guidelines for Consent for Solid Organ Transplantation in Adults are now available on the BTS website on the Standards and Guidelines page.
22 February 2011 Updated SaBTO Guidelines
SaBTO have just published their updated "Guidance on the Microbiological Safety of Human Organs, Tissues and Cells used in Transplantation". The document is linked to from the SaBTO webpage or can be downloaded here.
31 January 2011 Guidelines for Antibody Incompatible Transplantation
The revised Guidelines for Antibody Incompatible Transplantation are now available on the website. Particular thanks go to Rob Higgins, Bob Vaughan and Peter Andrews for their work on this.
13 January 2011 Thank You for Life
A moving new book of letters written by transplant patients to their donors and donor relatives has been launched to show the positive side of organ donation and encourage more people to sign up to the organ register.
Thank you for life is published by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) for NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) with support from the Department of Health and highlights the long-standing gratitude felt by those who receive donated organs.
Proceeds from sales of the book will be used to promote organ registration.
For further information, please visit: http://bookshop.rcplondon.ac.uk/details.aspx?e=324
15 December 2010 Generic immunosuppressive drugs
Clinical members of the Society will be aware that over the last year there has been an increase in the number of generic immunosuppressive agents available. Owing to cost pressures in the NHS many units are needing to consider this option. There are potential patient safety issues, particularly with switching cyclosporine and tacrolimus preparations outside close clinical supervision, that have been highlighted by the ESPRIT group
8 December 2010 BTS/BSHI Joint Symposium Report
A report from the recent successful Joint BSHI/BTS symposium on 'Detecting donor immune reactivity towards therapeutic intervention' is available here.
19 October 2010 Independant Organ Donor Register Review by Sir Gordon Duff
The independent Review of the Organ Donor Register by Sir Gordon Duff has been published today and is now available, please click here to view the review.
15 October 2010 Mr Ali Bakran
I'm sure that many of you will already have heard the sad news that Ali Bakran, Consultant Surgeon in Liverpool, unexpectedly died at the end of August whilst on holiday. Ali was well known to many and he had passionate and forthright views about many aspects of transplantation and vascular access surgery. He always wanted the best care for patients with kidney disease and also did much to advance the training of young doctors. He was one of the few surgeons to be a member of both the British Transplantation Society and the Renal Association. He was a long serving treasurer of the Society, produced the first edition of the CMV guidelines and was actively involved in workforce planning and transplant training. Nationally he was involved in many initiatives to successfully improve the delivery of services in transplantation and in particular vascular access surgery. He will be greatly missed by his family, but also by his many colleagues and patients.
6 September 2010 Provision of Services for Patients requiring a Renal Transplant
This is a new document produced by the Society, and approved by Council, for the benefit of commissioners of renal transplant services. To view the document, please click here.
13 April 2010 Donation:Transplantation:Conversation
Kim Karam has recently written a book about some of the complex issues surrounding the topics of donation and transplantation, having been inspired by her own father's wait for a kidney. He sadly died without ever having a new chance at life. The book is based on interviews and photographs taken with donor families, live donors, recipients, surgeons, family members and co-ordinators and it is unlike anything else available. The Department of Health has agreed to give a copy of the book to every patient on the UK Transplant List. More information can be found on the website at www.transplantbook.co.uk Others may also be interested in purchasing a copy of 'Donation:Transplantation:Conversation', which is now available at a cost of £12.50 (including P &P). Please send cheques made payable to 'Kim Karam' along with your name and address to : Transplant Book , PO Box 1072 , Harrow , HA1 9GX . If you are interested in purchasing multiple copies for a hospital unit, friends and family or teaching purposes, please write to the above address or contact kim@transplantbook.co.uk for information about discounts.
29 March 2010 Requested Allocation of a Deceased Donor Organ
On 29 March 2010, the Department of Health announced a change of UK-wide deceased donor organ allocation policy. The new policy guidelines enable people to inform transplant teams of their wishes for the allocation, after their death, of one of their, or their loved ones organs to a family member or close friend in need of a transplant and who would meet the requirements to be considered for a transplant.
The published guidelines make clear that priority will still be given to those in urgent need, for example, on the heart or liver super urgent lists, where clinically appropriate and consent to donation, they say, must never be conditional on the requested allocation going ahead. However, a request for an organ to be given to a family member or close friend will be considered if there is no one else on the super urgent list who is a compatible match.
To view the guidelines in full click here
26 March 2010 BTS Press Release to Congratulate Professor Birchall
The British Transplantation Society would like to congratulate Professor Birchall and his team on their latest break though in using the patient's own stem cells to produce a new trachea. We wish the patient a swift recovery following this procedure, and hope that the techniques used may become more widely available to help repair or replace other diseased organs in the future.
4 February 2010 Swine Flu Resources from the Department of Health
Swine Flu Vaccination - What you need to know.
Information for parents of children over six months and under five years old.
20 November 2009 Legal Issues Relevant to Non-Heartbeating Organ Donation
On 20 November, the Department of Health published web-based guidance on their website clarifying the legal position in England and Wales around non heartbeating donation with the aim of helping to increase the potential for organ donation. This is in response to Recommendation 3 of the Organ Donation Taskforce Report which states that 'urgent attention is required to resolve outstanding legal, ethical and professional issues in order to ensure that all clinicians are supported and are able to work within a clear and unambiguous framework of good practice.
Please click here to view the Guidance
05 October 2009 Guidance - Influenza Pandemic
The British Transplantation Society has not produced any specific guidance on managing transplant services or transplant patients during a flu pandemic. However your attention is drawn to a number of helpful documents produced by other professional groups. In addition the Department of Health website is an important source of current guidance and information.
‘Briefing and guidance for adult renal units in the UK during an influenza pandemic’ - Renal Association
‘Pandemic Influenza Plan’ – NHSBT
‘Advice Concerning Organ Donation and H1N1 (Swine) Flu’ – SaBTO
‘Support for NHS Staff working in Exceptional Circumstances’ – Intensive Care Society
‘H1N1 influenza in the Transplant Population’ – The Transplantation Society
