CHFT  has received  two "exceptional" verdicts for all our work at challenging times supporting families to achieve their loved one's final wishes.

The work ,by all involved and in our organ donation teams in such a sensitive areas, has won praise from NHS Blood and Transplant.. 

In the last six months16 people have received transplants after we supported the families of eight patients who wished to be organ donors through the process.

This means the team has been rated:

• Exceptional for the referral of potential organ donors

• Exceptional for Specialist Nurse presence when approaching families to discuss organ donation.

Paul Knight, our clinical lead for Organ Donation, sent his thanks to all ICU staff who support the process and urged them to keep up the good work supporting families. 

They said: " We find that our families take great comfort from organ donation, and see it as the only positive aspect of losing a loved one, and, as clinicians, we feel very privileged to meet and support these amazing families who think of others at such a difficult time." 

Jayne Greenhalgh, our Specialist Nurse was present for  all procedures supporting the discussions  with families of eligible donors which is considered the gold standard of care in such difficult and emotional times. 

How do we support families?

" We support families by working with the ICU team to keep the family informed all along the donation pathway. Families can stay with their loved one right up until the point of theatre. We offer keepsakes, for example handprints and hairlocks, and also offer for their loved one to have their name included on the beautiful memorials we have on both sites of the Trust. We also keep in contact with families post donation, ensuring the support is ongoing, and they receive letters of thanks from NHSBT ( NHS Blood & Transplant ).

"The Order of St John also work with NHSBT to hold annual memorial services for donor families,  which are lovely events, and a time for donor families to speak with other families who have been through a similar experience to themselves. At these ceremonies, held around the UK, donor families are given an award to honour the gift their loved one has given."

How difficult is it to provide this support?

The support we offer to families is so important, this is such a difficult and stressful time for them, and often they need a great deal of time to take in all the information they are being given. As specialist nurses we have that time, to spend as long as the family needs, to understand what has happened and why their loved one is not going to survive. It is only once they have understood and accepted this sad news that the potential for organ donation is broached. Many families know their loved ones wishes,  so the decision for them is an easier one to make, but not all families have talked about it. 

Once a family have made the decision to donate, the specialist nurses facilitate the entire donation journey from taking consent from families, ensuring suitability of organs, matching and offering organs to recipients on the transplant waiting lists, setting up theatre, taking the donor to theatre and finally performing last offices.