They have been working in partnership with colleagues from National Institute for Health and Care Research Newcastle NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and Teesside University to demonstrate how NHS workers can help to lead open and honest dialogue around organ donation with their families, friends and colleagues.
With one aim in mind… to encourage more people to sign up to the organ donation register.
Junior research project manager and health psychologist, Natalie Clark from the South Tees Academic Centre for Surgery said:
“We define a positive conversation about organ donation as one that is supportive, engages empathetic listening, and is respectful of one’s wishes.
As we move forward, our plan is to design and develop a learning package for the wider NHS workforce that will empower individuals to make their decision about organ donation and share this confidently with their loved ones.
“Doing so, will begin to improve organ donation rates and help to save and improve the quality of lives of those actively waiting for a transplant.”
Professor Caroline Wroe, project lead and consultant nephrologist from Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who has been supporting on the project said:
This work is an exciting collaboration between families affected by organ donation, healthcare colleagues, graphics design support from Teesside University and local Music Production company Salt Recordings.
“I’d like to acknowledge the fantastic support from our local charity Northern Counties Kidney Research fund, NHSBT and the NIHR Research Delivery Network for enabling this work to happen.
This collaboration highlights the vital function that health professionals play in the organ donation community.
More information
To find out more about their work and read a summary of their projects, visit the Frontier Publishing Partnerships website.
Those involved in the projects include:
- Caroline Wroe, clinical director for North East and North Cumbria at NIHR, consultant ephrologist at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Natalie Clark, research project manager and health psychologist, Academic Centre for Surgery, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Dorothy (Dot) Coe, qualitative researcher, NIHR Research Delivery Network North East North Cumbria
• Hannah Gillespie, academic specialist trainee in renal medicine, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• David Reaich, consultant nephrologist, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Marcus Diamond & Michael O’Malley, senior lecturers in graphic design and Sean Battle, lecturer in Illustration, School of Arts & Creative Industries, Teesside University
• Paul Worthington, director at Salt Recordings