Scottish Donation and Transplant Group written update: December 2023

Scotland organ donation

Update given by:

• Regional Manager Susan Hannah NHSBT

Deceased organ donation performance

The previous two years donors per million of population (pmp) was impacted by the pandemic and saw a significant drop with last year October 2021 to September 2022 the lowest of all UK teams at 15. However, this year October 2022 to September 2023 we have improved donor numbers of 116 and like other UK teams with twenty-one donors pmp.

April to September 2023

During the first six months of this fiscal year validated data from April to September 2023 the donor eligibility has improved for donation after brain death (DBD) pathway with 34% increase from 37 to 56 and the donation after circulatory death (DCD) eligibility has reduced by 9% with ninety-nine. However combined eligibility is an improvement of 6% with 155 which is ten more than last year.

The number of proceeding organ donors has ranged from 5 to 14 with a total of sixty-two with an equal number of DBD and DCD donors of thirty-one. This is fourteen more donors compared to the same period last year and eight more donors above the NHSBT target of 109.

The referral rate combined is 98% (UK 95%) and the Specialist Nurse team presence rate 92% (UK average 94%) with DBD 90% and DCD 94%. The number of potential donor families approached 116 with sixty-eight families authorised provides combined authorisation rate of 59% (UK average 60%) which is 5% lower than last year.

A further breakdown of authorisation route has expressed opt in 82% (37/45), deemed authorisation 52% (22/42) this is a 30% gap between the two and similar for UK with 35% gap.

This year with improved donor numbers there was a 33% increase with more patient transplants from 134 to 175 and a significant improvement with lung transplants from two to eighteen.

The Scotland team has supported eye only authorisations this year on behalf of the National Referral Centre (NRC) due to their reduced staffing however discussions and training are planned to handover by end of new fiscal year March 2024.