Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised as the top-performing Trust for adult living kidney transplants in the UK for 2024–25, according to the NHS Blood and Transplant annual report.
Despite being a medium-sized transplant unit, OUH performed 68 living donor kidney transplants out of a total of 201 adult kidney transplants, surpassing larger centres and setting a new benchmark for clinical excellence.
The success has been attributed to OUH’s multidisciplinary transplant team at Churchill Hospital, which includes:
- Living donor and recipient coordinators
- Consultant surgeons, nephrologists, anaesthetists
- Independent assessors, service managers, scientists, pharmacists, and theatre staff
Nicki Hayward-Priest, OUH’s Lead for the Living Donor team, 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 has introduced several innovations to streamline the donor pathway and improve efficiency, including:
- Group donor seminars with visual presentations to educate and support families
- Antibody incompatible meetings for complex cases
- Expansion of independent assessors from 3 to 9 to reduce delays
- Back-up systems to maximise theatre utilisation
OUH plays a leading role in the National Living Donor Kidney Sharing Scheme, with around one-third of its transplants performed through the programme. Collaboration with Coventry Hospital has further enhanced resource sharing and surgical expertise.
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