About Organ Tissue Donation Transplantation (OTDT)
OTDT is the directorate within NHSBT that is responsible for organ donation, retrieval, and allocation of organs from donors across the UK. There are a number of solid organ advisory groups which comprise senior clinicians (surgeons, physicians and nurse coordinators), commissioners and members of the UK Department of Health and members of NHSBT. Their function is not only to advise on selection and allocation policies, but also to promote organ donation and transplantation, monitor outcomes and ensure good governance.
The role of Lay members
The role of a Lay Member is to provide an independent, objective, external and effective lay/public view to the Advisory Groups, and to work with other members of the Advisory Group to agree priorities and the work programme, develop and review clinical and other policies and promote more effective interaction with other stakeholders, including patients and patient groups. They will be a full and active member of the Advisory Group.
Lay Members must be committed to public service and to NHSBT’s purpose. They must have the courage to speak out and challenge, working consistently with fellow members from across the organ transplantation community and communicating confidently both within and outside the organisation.
Lay members are not clinicians and will not become involved with clinical decisions about individual patients. If a patient or a family member has a concern with a clinical decision, then they should raise this with the clinician concerned in the first instance and, if not satisfied, contact the hospital involved. Patients declined for transplantation may ask for a second opinion.
Advisory groups
The Advisory Groups are the key fora for clinicians and scientists to meet with representatives from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), commissioners and Departments of Health and others to review and develop policies, assess outcomes, and work with partners and stakeholders to improve outcomes for patients.
The structure and role of the Advisory Groups has recently been reviewed and recommendations made from which changes will be implemented. The Chairs, who are all elected with independent input, meet at the Chairs of the Advisory Groups Committee. The Advisory Groups report to the Organ Donation and Transplantation (ODT) Senior Management Team.
The solid organ advisory groups discuss:
- Donation activity
- Transplant activity
- Waiting times
- Equity of access
- Selection and organ allocation
- Transplant outcomes and research
Lay members
Each Solid Organ Advisory Group has appointed 2 members to each of the Advisory Groups; the appointment of these Lay Members will complement and not replace the work with patients and patient groups. The appointed Members are:
- Multi-visceral and Composite Tissue Advisory Group: Professor Anthony Wrigley (PDF 60KB), Second Lay Member To Be Announced (TBA)
- Cardiothoracic Advisory Group: Mrs Margaret Harrison (PDF 6KB), Mr Shamik Ghosh (PDF 82KB)
- Kidney Advisory Group: Mr Aamer Safdar (PDF 48KB), Professor Anthony Wrigley (PDF 60KB)
- Liver Advisory Group: Mr Andrew Madden (PDF 51KB)
- Pancreas Advisory Group: Ms Aileen Feeney (PDF 51KB), Mrs Sapna Marwaha (PDF 64KB)
- Retrieval Advisory Group: Mr Shamik Ghosh (PDF 82KB), Second Lay Member To Be Announced (TBA)
- Ocular and Tissue Advisory Group: Mr Aamer Safdar (PDF 48KB), Second Lay Member To Be Announced (TBA)
- Research, Innovation & Novel Technologies Advisory Group: Ms Aileen Feeney (PDF 51KB), Mrs Sapna Marwaha (PDF 64KB)
- National Organ Donation Committee: Mrs Margaret Harrison (PDF 6KB), Mr Andrew Madden (PDF 51KB)
Lay members are not clinicians and will not become involved with clinical decisions about individual patients.