Understanding Delays in DCD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding Delays in Organ Donation after Circulatory Death in the UK: An Ethnographic Study
IRAS ID
335626
Contact name
Jessie Cooper
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
City St George's, University of London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
T4GIT001 NIHR RFPB, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (research Host) internal study reference number
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, 0 days
Research summary
Controlled Organ Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) is organ donation from a patient who has died following the planned withdrawal of medical treatment which is keeping them alive. In 2008, to increase the number of organ donors, DCD was reintroduced as an option at the end-of-life in NHS hospitals. This has led to increased rates of organs available for people who are waiting for a life-saving transplant. However, since its reintroduction, there have been increases in the length of time it takes to organise the DCD process. This means that families who have consented to donation on their relative’s behalf are waiting a long time for DCD to be organised and for their relative to have their treatment withdrawn, so they can die. These delays are distressing for relatives and are the joint most common reason relatives decline consent for DCD. However, no research has looked at what is causing the delays, how it feels to experience these delays, and what can be done to improve the situation.
This study forms part of a larger research project, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research aiming to find out why delays in DCD are happening and how they are being managed; understand experiences of delays for relatives of organ donors; and develop recommendations for what to do about these delays. This study will be observing the management and organisation of DCD within two NHS hospitals, interviewing staff and relatives to find out their experiences of delays and why delays are happening. The findings of this study and the wider research project will be used to develop recommendations for what to do about delays in DCD and how best to support donor relatives through this process.REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
24/ES/0100
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jan 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion