Oxford University Hospitals Leads UK in Living Kidney Transplants

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised as the top-performing Trust for adult living kidney transplants in the UK for the year 2024-25, according to the NHS Blood and Transplant annual report on kidney transplants.

Out of 201 Adult Kidney transplants performed at OUH 2024-25, 68 were living donor kidney transplants, surpassing larger transplant centres.

This remarkable achievement highlights OUH's commitment to excellence, innovation, and patient-centred care. This is especially significant, given OUH’s status as a medium-sized transplant unit, which demonstrates that teamwork and dedication can drive outstanding clinical outcomes. 

Nicki Hayward-Priest, lead for the Living Donor team at OUH, said: "This success is only possible due to our multi-faceted approach and collaborative effort in transforming the donor pathway. We've worked hard to reduce delays and maximise our operational capacity. Every improvement we've made, from streamlining assessments to expanding access, has been driven by a desire to make the transplant journey safer, faster, and more supportive for our patients."

The team includes living donor coordinators, recipient kidney coordinators and a secretary, supported by consultant surgeons, nephrologists, anaesthetists, independent assessors, service managers, clinical scientists, pharmacists, and theatre staff.

A collaborative effort in transforming the donor pathway

The Living Donor team and Kidney Recipient Transplant team at the Churchill Hospital have introduced several innovations to streamline the donor pathway and improve efficiency:

•    Group donor seminars with visual presentations, replacing individual education sessions. These seminars provide consistent, high-quality information and reach more families in one session, creating a supportive environment where donors and recipients can share experiences

•    Pre-assessment questionnaires and GP summaries to identify unsuitable candidates early, while maximising clinic capacity and ensuring donors fully understand the process

•    Two-day consolidated assessments, with virtual options for overseas donors

•    In-house 24-hour blood pressure monitoring and simplified imaging protocols

•    Evolving an 'antibody incompatible meeting' to explore options for challenging cases

•    Expansion of independent assessors from 3 to 9, reducing delays

•    Back-up systems for theatre cancellations to maximise operating slots.

OUH has also played a leading role in the National Living Donor Kidney Sharing Scheme, with approximately one-third of its transplants performed through this programme. Collaboration with Coventry Hospital (COXNET) has further enhanced resource sharing and surgical expertise.

Divisional Director for Surgery Women’s and Oncology Dr Anny Sykes said: "This achievement is a testament to the extraordinary commitment and collaboration across our multidisciplinary team. Our success is rooted in a shared focus on delivering the best possible outcomes for our patients."

More about Living Kidney donation on the NHS Blood and Transplant web page.