OUH Kidney Transplant Team Celebrates Over 5,000 Transplants in 50 Years

The kidney transplant team at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) recently reached a landmark milestone – more than 5,000 adult kidney transplants performed since the first procedure 50 years ago on 30 January 1975.

Remarkably, around 59% of these transplants have taken place in the last 15 years, with the service growing into one of the leading kidney transplant centres in the country.

This achievement reflects decades of dedication, innovation, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, as well as significant operational improvements and unwavering commitment to patient care.

Around 170 total kidney transplants take place at OUH every year, serving the region stretching between Swindon in the south, Gloucester in the west, High Wycombe in the east, and Banbury in the north. Earlier this year, OUH was recognised as the top-performing Trust for adult living kidney transplants in the UK for the year 2024-25.

Kidney transplantation is performed using kidneys from either deceased or live organ donors. The transplant procedure may be performed on patients with kidney failure due to a large variety of causes, but the most common are diabetes, inherited polycystic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis.

Sanjay Sinha, one of our transplant consultants and lead for kidney transplants, said: "Reaching over 5,000 transplants is a testament to the dedication of our teams and the trust placed in us by our patients. We remain committed to advancing care and improving outcomes for every individual patient we serve."

Nicki Hayward-Priest, one of our transplant specialist nurses and lead for living donor transplants, said: "The credit for this success goes to our multi-faceted approach and collaborative effort in transforming the donor pathway and improving coordination between donor and recipient nursing teams. We have worked hard to reduce delays and maximise our operational capacity."

Clare Snelgrove, one of our Transplant specialist nurses and lead for the deceased donor transplant, said: "The consistent increase in the number of kidney transplants at OUH is the result of our ongoing efforts to excel operationally.

"This achievement reflects exceptional teamwork across surgical, nursing, and multidisciplinary teams, including consultant surgeons, nephrologists, anaesthetists, pharmacy, cardiology, radiology, theatre staff, service managers, administrative staff, and independent volunteer assessors."

Dr Anny Sykes, Divisional Director for Surgery, Women’s and Oncology, said: "This is another outstanding achievement by the adult kidney transplant team this year.

"The team has introduced several innovative approaches to improve efficiency and streamline processes. Well done and congratulations to all involved."