Approximately 1,559 people have had an organ transplant in the UK since April 2022, yet there are at least 6,629 individuals still waiting for one.
Organ Donation Week is an annual campaign held in September. It is a campaign run by NHS Blood and Transplant and aims to remind us all of the importance of organ donation.
To recognise Organ Donation Week, starting from Monday 26 September 2022, Alex Crowe, Deputy Director for Incentive Schemes and Academic Partnerships at NHS Resolution, shares his interest in nephrology (disease of the kidneys) and the importance of organ donations to this specialism and about his role and expertise, in particular in supporting clinical fellows at NHS Resolution.
Please tell us about yourself.
I trained at St Thomas’ Hospital in London in medicine, where I completed a number of medical rotations and took an interest in nephrology. I was interested in the different types of kidney problems and how we can help treat these conditions. Sometimes it is not possible to stabilise kidney function in patients and they may require dialysis. I also support patients with kidney transplants. I’ve also undertaken a variety of managerial roles which have enabled me to be involved in a range of other clinical services. I found these positions very interesting and it also provided me with opportunities to help develop a number of crucial healthcare systems, for example I was delighted to have the chance to contribute to the development of the Electronic Patient Record.
Please tell us about your role at NHS Resolution.
I am Deputy Director for Incentive Schemes and Academic Partnerships within the Safety and Learning service at NHS Resolution. This role supports our clinical fellows (health professionals with in an interest in research) at NHS Resolution, I work with our Academic Partners (currently London South Bank University and Staffordshire University) and drive forward work to publish important clinical thematic reviews and develop educational e-learning modules.
In healthcare we are seeing the exponential proliferation of healthcare literature and so one key work stream relates to assessing how we can make it easier to provide clear guidance and recommendations at the point of care (Recommendations to Implementation).
We are also looking at evaluating the impact of the Maternity Incentive Scheme and the Early Notification Scheme.
I am currently also working as a clinician at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital as a nephrologist. It is imperative to be aware of some of the challenges that there are at the ‘clinical front line’ for both patients and staff and bring that learning to NHS Resolution.
What does it mean to be an organ donor, and why do you think it’s important?
Organ donation is the process when a person allows an organ of their own to be removed and transplanted to another person, legally, either by consent while the donor is alive or dead with the assent of the next of kin. I do respect that donation is a personal decision and opinions must be respected.
As a clinician, I have an interest in kidney transplantation. Kidneys are the most commonly donated organs by living people, and about a third of all kidney transplants carried out in the UK are from living donors.
In the UK living kidney transplants have been performed since 1960 and currently around 1,100 such operations are performed each year, with a very high success rate. A kidney transplant can transform the life of someone with kidney disease.
Where do you think working for NHS Resolution brings the most value for you?
For me, it’s working in our Safety and Learning service, which in turn supports our Claims Management service to help members and beneficiaries to better understand their claims risk profile. This helps organisations to best target their safety activity and allows for the sharing of learning across the system.
