Transplant coordinators - Birmingham Children's Hospital

West Midlands Regional Donor Transplant Co-ordinators
(DTC)
We are currently a team of 9 Donor Transplant Co-ordinators who are
based at University Hospital Birmingham (Queen Elizabeth site), and we
provide support and advice on organ and tissue donation to staff in 30
critical care units (24 acute trusts) throughout the West Midlands region.
The Donation/Transplant Gap
Today more than 6,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant that
could save or dramatically improve their life. Most are waiting for a
kidney, others for a heart, lung or liver transplant. But less than 3,000
transplants are carried out each year.
Transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern
medicine, but they depend entirely on the generosity of donors and their
families.
There is a desperate need for more donors, as last year more than 400
people died while waiting for a transplant. One in ten people waiting for a
heart transplant will die and many others will lose their lives before they
even get on to the waiting list.
For more information about organ donation and transplantation you can
visit UK Transplants website at www.uktransplant.org.uk
Role of the Donor Transplant Co-ordinators
Our primary role is to provide an on call service for the region which is
accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When on call, the DTC can be
called to any of our critical care units to assist staff in the approach to
families to make the request for organ donation.
When a family consents to organ donation, the DTC will facilitate the
process from the initial completion of the consent form with the family,
right through to the retrieval operation and the care of the donor and their
family post donation.
Visit the Donor Family Network website at:
www.donorfamilynetwork.co.uk

Another important aspect of our role is to provide education for
healthcare professionals on all aspects of organ donation and
transplantation.
Tel: 0121 627 2422