Give the gift of life
Organ donation is the gift of an organ to help someone else who needs a transplant.. One donor can give life to several people as well as restoring the sight of two more people.
Why not sign up to life now and give the gift of life today?
Institute of Transplantation
The Future of Transplantation
Advances in transplantation have seen the advent of treatments previously unimaginable. Newcastle has been proactive in the field of transplant surgery and we have always been at the leading edge of research and development.
Now is the time to step up to the challenge laid down by the Department of Health to increase the volume of transplant surgery and facilitate development of all types of solid organ transplantation by creating a dedicated Transplant Institute.
Meeting the national shortfall in organ transplantation
As the number of patients waiting for a transplant rises at a rate far greater than the number of organs available, an ever increasing number of patients in the UK are dying whilst on a transplant waiting list.
The Government commissioned an Organ Donation Taskforce to undertake extensive analysis of organ donation and transplantation activity in the UK and abroad. The Taskforce published its report in January 2008 outlining 14 recommendations alongside a commitment to increase organ donation in the UK by 50% within the next five years.
Estimates suggest that this would enable an additional 1,200 transplants a year, of which over 700 would be kidney transplants. Achieving a 50% increase in donation is dependent upon the resolution of a number of key issues highlighted by the Taskforce’s systematic review as being barriers to organ donation and transplantation, the issues are:
- donor identification and referral
- donor co-ordination
- organ retrieval arrangements
In addition, we feel that completing the ‘circle’ and ensuring timely and successful transplantation of the organs is paramount. Implementing these changes will require leadership, boldness and a willingness to change established practice.
Institute of Transplantation in Newcastle
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is firmly committed to helping people benefit from transplant surgery, and currently provides outstanding transplantation services at the Freeman Hospital.
To help us build upon our successes and international reputation, we believe our world leading clinicians deserve to deliver their care, where our patients deserve to receive it - in first rate facilities fit for the 21st century.
To make our vision a reality we plan to establish an Institute of Transplantation right here in Newcastle which will be the pride of not only the North East, but the whole of the UK. An Institute dedicated to transplantation will bring together all stages of cardiothoracic and abdominal organ transplantation as well as fostering research and development, all under one roof - the very first unit of its kind in the country.
