Academic Teaching Programme in Organ Perfusion

The aim of this course is to provide structured, clinically relevant education in liver machine perfusion, supporting safe, standardised and evidence-informed practice in organ preservation and transplantation.

The course is intended to strengthen participants’ understanding of HOPE and NMP, improve awareness of machine perfusion workflows, and support professional development within organ perfusion, transplantation and related clinical or scientific roles.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• describe the principles of liver machine perfusion and its role in organ preservation, assessment and transplantation
  
  
• differentiate between HOPE and NMP, including their physiological principles, clinical indications and practical applications
  
  
• explain the key stages of donor liver retrieval, preservation, transport and transplantation, and where machine perfusion fits within these pathways
  
  
• identify essential safety checks, documentation requirements and governance considerations required when preparing for liver machine perfusion
  
  
• demonstrate awareness of the practical steps involved in setting up, priming, monitoring and troubleshooting HOPE and NMP systems
  
  
• interpret basic perfusion parameters, including flow, pressure, temperature, lactate trend, bile production and key biochemical markers, within the context of organ assessment
  
  
• recognise common risks and escalation triggers during machine perfusion, including alarms, equipment issues, sterility concerns and documentation errors
  
  
• reflect on how learning from the course may influence future clinical, scientific or professional practice

This course is suitable for healthcare professionals involved in, or seeking to develop knowledge of, liver machine perfusion and transplantation.

The target audience includes:

• organ perfusion practitioners (OPPs) and trainee OPPs
• clinical scientists and healthcare scientists
• surgical trainees and transplant fellows
• transplant surgeons and clinicians
• operating department practitioners
• specialist nurses working in transplantation, theatres, organ retrieval or critical care
• biomedical scientists, research practitioners and clinical trial staff involved in transplantation or organ preservation
• cardiac perfusionists seeking exposure to organ perfusion practice
• allied health professionals with a relevant clinical, scientific or transplant interest
• individuals with a relevant background who are considering future application to OPP roles

The course may be particularly useful for staff working in transplant centres, NORS teams, ARC-related pathways, organ preservation services, clinical research, or centres developing machine perfusion services.

Applicants should have:

• a relevant clinical, scientific, healthcare or research background
• an interest in organ preservation, transplantation, perfusion science, theatre practice, critical care, retrieval, or clinical research
• basic understanding of anatomy, physiology and clinical practice relevant to transplantation or organ preservation
• willingness to participate in lectures, case discussion, practical workshops, reflection and course evaluation

The course is also appropriate for individuals with a relevant clinical, scientific or healthcare background who are interested in applying for future organ perfusion practitioner (OPP) roles.

Attendance may support employability by providing structured exposure to liver machine perfusion principles, organ preservation pathways, governance requirements and the professional expectations of the emerging OPP workforce.

Please note: this course provides CPD-accredited education and practical exposure. It does not provide independent clinical sign-off to practise machine perfusion. Competency sign-off remains subject to local employer governance, supervised practice and workplace-based assessment.

This two-day course provides 12 CPD points accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.

Registration, refreshment breaks, lunch and course administration time are excluded from the calculation.

Assessment is proportionate to a short CPD-accredited course and is primarily formative.

Participants will complete:

• knowledge-based questions or scenario-based discussion tasks
• practical workshop observation against defined learning domains
• post-course self-assessment mapped to learning outcomes
• course evaluation form
• reflection on whether the course will influence future practice

Participants who complete the required course components will receive a certificate of completion confirming the CPD points awarded.

The course is delivered by the Royal Free Hospital.

The course is supported by commercial partners with expertise in liver machine perfusion technology:

• OrganOx Ltd – manufacturer of the OrganOx metra normothermic machine perfusion system
• Bridge to Life Ltd – manufacturer of the VitaSmart hypothermic oxygenated perfusion system

Commercial partners may provide technical device support, equipment support, workshop assistance and/or sponsorship of course-related costs.

The curriculum, learning outcomes, assessment process and participant selection remain clinically led and independent. Sponsorship does not influence course content, assessment outcomes, certification or recruitment decisions.