Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH) have been praised by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) after achieving a 100% organ donation referral rate in 2025/26 - ensuring every potential opportunity to save lives was identified.
Over the past year, the team referred 80 patients to NHSBT’s Organ Donation Services and supported six patients to donate. These donations helped 14 people receive life-saving transplants, including a heart transplant and a liver transplant that benefited both an adult and a child.
In addition, five patients became tissue donors, helping multiple people through eye, tendon, and heart valve donation.
Saving and improving lives
This achievement highlights the vital role hospital staff play in identifying potential donors and supporting families with care, compassion and the right information to make informed decisions at the most difficult time.
Every referral represents a chance to save or transform lives—whether through organ transplantation or tissue donation—offering hope to patients across the South-East and beyond.
Despite this progress, the need for donors remains significant. In 2025/26, 425 people in the South-East received a transplant, but sadly 43 people died whilst on the waiting list. A stark reminder of the continuing work that NHS trusts must do every year to support the chances of those individuals and families waiting for a life-saving transplant.
Dr Alice Myers, Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at the Trust, said:
“We are proud to be playing a leading role in saving and improving more lives through organ and tissue donation.
“It is a privilege to work with families and witness their incredible generosity at such a difficult time. Even a single donor can transform the lives of multiple people, which is a powerful legacy to be part of.”
Dr Ed Cetti, the Trust's Chief Medical Officer, added:
“Achieving a 100% referral rate is a significant milestone and reflects the dedication and compassion of our teams. Every referral is an opportunity to save or transform lives, and this work is a vital part of the care we provide.”
Find out more
Around 8,000 people across the UK are currently waiting for a transplant, and more donors are urgently needed.
Anyone can register a decision about organ donation and help their loved ones understand their wishes.
To find out more or to join the NHS Organ Donor Register, visit the NHS website.