With the entry into force of Law 91/99, the network on organ and tissue removal and transplantation was organised, setting up dedicated figures to coordinate and manage all operations related to the complex activity.
The national organisation consists of:
CNT National Transplant Centre, a technical body of the Ministry of Health whose guidelines and directives on procurement and transplantation and on the governance of the transplantation network are transposed and applied. Permanent Technical Council for Transplantation, which prepares the technical-operational guidelines for carrying out procurement and transplantation activities and performs advisory functions in favour of the National Centre.
CIR and CRT Inter-regional and regional centres, operational structures that act on behalf of the NTC for programmes of a national nature, the performance of planning, monitoring, quality-safety functions, the H24 coordination of the structures involved in the entire transplant process.
COT Territorial hospital co-ordinators, placed on the staff of the Health Directorate of the Aziende Sanitarie/IRCCS; they co-ordinate the activities ranging from the identification and signalling of potential donors to the organisation and planning of all the phases preceding the procurement, they propose the donation, taking care of relations with the donors’ families. In order to guarantee the safety, traceability and transparency of the activities, all stages of the process are recorded on the Transplant Information System (SIT)
Hospital Transplant Coordination Units (HCOTs) play a key role in making as many organs and tissues as possible available for clinical use by identifying potential donors, assessing suitability criteria, obtaining consent for donation, and organising procurement. They are responsible for contacting the relatives of potential donors and proposing the possibility of donation.
Law 91/99 states that: ‘The functions of coordinating the collection facilities are carried out by a doctor from the competent health company…who has gained experience in the field of transplantation designated by the general director of the company for a period of five years, renewable on expiry’. It also specifies that: ‘Local coordinators shall, in accordance with the procedures established by the regions:
a) ensure the immediate communication of donor data, via the transplant information system … to the competent regional or inter-regional centre and the National Centre
b) co-ordinate the administrative acts relating to procurement interventions
c) liaising with donors’ families;
d) to organise information, education and cultural development activities for the population on
transplantation in its area of competence.
The factors that have enabled the optimisation of a system that has distinguished the transplant network of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Province of Trento and Marche are
communication with the population and healthcare professionals,
the dissemination of the culture of donation, the involvement of hospital staff, relations with donors’ families and the judiciary, the technical organisation of collection, the support and accompaniment of the Banks.
Fondazione Banca dei Tessuti del Veneto ETS / CF – P.IVA IT04478760269 / Privacy Policy
