Donation and Transplantation Plan 2021 to 2026: annual progress update - December 2025

2. Context: How donation and transplantation services work in Scotland

Donation and transplantation services are delivered through a complex, but coordinated set of arrangements in place in the NHS in Scotland and across the UK. This collaborative approach provides better outcomes in terms of increased ability to match donors with recipients.

Deceased organ donation and retrieval services are managed on a UK-wide basis by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Transplant services in Scottish hospitals are commissioned by National Services Division (NSD), part of NHS National Services Scotland, as specialist services. National Services Division commission the following transplant units:

• Edinburgh Transplant Centre – kidney (adult), liver, pancreas, islets
• Glasgow Transplant Unit – kidney (adult and paediatric)
• Golden Jubilee National Hospital – heart
• Freeman Hospital, Newcastle – adult and paediatric heart and lung

There are around 655 people in Scotland currently on the active waiting list for a transplant. Sadly, some will die before receiving a transplant as there are not enough organs to meet demand. In Scotland, there are normally around 100 deceased and 100 living kidney donors each year on average.

2.1 Organ donation

During 2024/25 there were a total of 105 proceeding deceased organ donors with 45 classified as Donation after Brain Death (DBD) and 60 as Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD). This is 18 more donors compared to the same time period last year.

During 2024/25 there were 102 living kidney donors in Scotland.

2.2 Transplantation

Transplantation figures across the UK were affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but services are gradually recovering. The number of people on the active transplant waiting list was lower in 2021 as many patients were suspended from the waiting list due to risks to patients if they contracted Covid-19 post-transplant. Some patients would also have been suspended from the transplant list because they were too ill to receive a transplant at the time.

2.3 Tissue donation

Unlike organ donation, it may be possible to donate tissue up to 24 hours after death for corneas and up to 48 hours after death for heart valves and tendons. Tissue donation is occasionally possible for people who die outside hospital, but most tissue donors normally need to die in a hospital. So, every opportunity for donation is very precious.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) supplies many human tissues and cells for transplantation in Scotland.

In 2024/25, 296 corneas and six sclera were transplanted in Scotland and the SNBTS eye retrieval team retrieved 74 eyes from 37 donors.