Inter-collegiate statement on the restoration of solid organ transplant services and their prioritisation
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Restoration of solid organ transplant services and their prioritisation
22.06.2020
Inter-collegiate guidance on prioritisation of surgery has not included details for solid organ transplantation. Being dependent on availability of donor organs, transplantation does not lend itself to the categorisation used for other surgical specialties.
While some cancer surgery took place in a limited number of centres during the height of the pandemic, solid organ transplantation has been severely restricted across all organ types. Restoration of solid organ transplant services needs to be considered alongside these other priorities if those on transplant waiting lists are not to be unfairly disadvantaged.
Transplant centres are now capable of restoring their services. We therefore draw your attention to revised guidance issued by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), that details issues around patient assessment and logistics to restore surgical services: https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/18891/pol296.pdf
There is now a substantial backlog of patients requiring assessment, a need to reopen deceased donation programmes and a progression from deceased to live donation. The surgical Colleges strongly support the restoration of solid organ transplant services with appropriate priority, commensurate with the time-sensitive nature of carrying out these operations.
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Royal College of Surgeons of England
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
