Potential Donor Audit Report

The national Potential Donor Audit (PDA) commenced in 2003 as part of a series of measures to improve organ donation. The principal aim of this audit was to determine the potential number of solid organ donors in the UK and provide information about the hospital practices surrounding donation.

The data collection was revised in October 2009, which changed some of the wording of the questions being asked, to aid clarity, and the definitions of terms used. More reasons for why particular patients did not become solid organ donors were also collected.

  • On 1 April 2013, the upper age limit increased from 75 to 80 years and cardiothoracic ICUs were included in the audit. At the same time, changes were made to certain definitions, terminology and questions.
  • In June 2015 the data set was further revised in preparation for the introduction of new legislation in Wales in December 2015 allowing individuals to register a wish not to donate their organs.

This information is gathered for each patient that dies in a critical care unit (intensive care or emergency department) in all UK hospitals. The information is gathered by Specialist Nurses - Organ Donation (SN-ODs) and input to NHS Blood and Transplant databases for analysis. 

Find out how to access the current dataset

PDA key rates Power BI report

This interactive Power BI report can be used to view PDA key metrics, by any specified region and timeframe, using the report filters. 

Data can also be viewed in a table format by right clicking a figure and selecting 'show as table'. 

Feedback on the report can be provided using the contact information page.

PDA key rates PowerBI report

Latest annual PDA report

The annual report summarises the key numbers and rates for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. 

Annual PDA report, 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024 (PDF 646KB)



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