Organ Donation Committee chair retires
Denis Wilkins, a retired Consultant Surgeon in General and Vascular Surgery, is now retiring as the Chair of the Trust’s Organ Donation Committee.
The committee was formed in 2008 by Dr Martin Walker, Consultant Anaesthetist, and Denis was asked to be the Chair. Its aim is to support the work of the Transplant Co-ordinators, the local Transplant Champion and the transplant teams, in maximising kidney and other organ donation within the Trust.
The Committee meets three to four times a year, to provide a forum for members of the team to meet, share ideas and concerns, monitor results and ensure that the donor programmes are working satisfactorily. One of its main purposes is to ensure that organ donations carried out in Plymouth are conducted ethically and comply with National protocols. It is particularly concerned that relatives are treated with the greatest care and sympathy throughout the process.
Denis said: “It has been an ambition of mine and the Committee that the hospital recognises the gift given by donors and their relatives in some tangible way. A year ago, a Donor Recognition Project started work and matters are now well advanced. Some lovely artefacts and art work are being commissioned to celebrate ‘The Gift of Life’ and will be prominently displayed in our hospital.
“The Transplant Unit has done very well and I am proud to have been a small part of setting up and running a service that has done so much for the quality of life of so many patients, up and down the Peninsula.”
Mark Sair, Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at Derriford Hospital said: “Denis has tirelessly served the committee for over seven years, supporting organ donation within the Trust and wider community. We presented him with a small gift from the committee to thank him for his outstanding contribution throughout his time as Chair.”
Denis has a long-term interest in surgical training and patient safety issues and has previously been President of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland and a past Chairman of the Court of Examiners and Specialty Advisory Committee in General Surgery. He has also been involved with the Board of the Medical School, is a member of the Trust Board of Derriford Hospital and the Board of Governors of Plymouth University in 2013.
