Role of the Recipient Transplant Co-ordinator
This page gives an overview of the role of Recipient Transplant Co-ordinator.
If you are a Recipient Transplant Co-ordinator you can find information and resources relevant to your role on our Recipient Transplant Co-ordinator hub page.
On this page:
About the role
The role of the Recipient Transplant Co-ordinator is to support and guide the recipient through their transplant pathway. Transplant co-ordination begins when a patient is referred to a transplant unit for consideration of an organ transplant and follows the recipient though the whole process into long term post transplant follow up care.
The Recipient Transplant Co-ordinator may be involved in part or all of the process.
This may include:
- Discussing the referred patient at an MDT meeting
- First telephone contact with the patient
- Visiting the local dialysis units to deliver one to one or group sessions
- Gathering information ready for the patients’ assessment
- Organising the transplant assessment
- Talking to and educating the patient and their family about transplantation
- Collating the results from assessment investigations
- Being a point of contact for the patient at all stages of the assessment
- Being present at the consent consultation
- Preparing the patient for listing
- Listing the patient on the transplant waiting list
- Monitoring the patient whilst listed
- Suspending the patient from the waiting list when necessary
- Co-ordinating the transplant operation
- Post transplant education before discharge from the hospital
- Preparing the recipient and their family for discharge
- Telephone advice
- Monitoring the recipient in clinic post transplant
There are over 250 Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators in the UK based at 27 transplanting units.
Lead Nurse for Recipient Transplant Co-ordination
The Lead Nurse for Recipient Transplant Co-ordination is the expert clinical link between NHSBT and Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators across the UK. The role sits within Organ Donation & Nursing as part of the Organ Donation and Transplantation Directorate.
The role ensures that all Recipient Co-ordinators and their colleagues involved in transplantation are appropriately supported and trained; encouraging positive engagement with NHSBT in order to deliver high quality patient care that is safe and effective to transplant recipients. Upholding key relationships with hospital multi-disciplinary teams, organ advisory groups, patient groups and disseminating communication accordingly are essential elements of the role.
The Lead Nurse is a highly visible and professional leader who works closely with Recipient Co-ordinators to represent and support them through change, in order to ensure the delivery of excellent clinical care through the implementation of national standards in practice and education.
The current Lead Nurse is Laura Stamp (laura.stamp@nhsbt.nhs.uk)
Solid Organ Advisory Groups
Solid organ advisory groups exist for every solid organ transplant community and consist of representation from all transplanting units, referral centres, statisticians, Specialist Nurses - Organ Donation (SN-ODs), UK Recipient Co-ordinator representatives, commissioning, and specialist services such as Histopathology and Immunology. Currently the solid organ advisory groups meet twice a year and have working groups that may meet more regularly.
Find out more information about Advisory Groups
Two Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators representatives in the UK have been identified to attend the relevant solid organ advisory group for each solid organ group. Their role is to act as a conduit of information from all their fellow Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators in the UK and, to represent them at the meeting and then feedback information that has been decided at the group that will have implications for the UK Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators. These roles have two to four year tenure and they are given the support of their line manager to attend these meetings.
Donor Family Care Service
Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators make regular contact with the Donor Family Care Service (DFCS).
The Service Lead for Donor Family Aftercare is Kay Sybenga (kay.sybenga@nhsbt.nhs.uk)