A coordinated national UK liver transplant program response, prioritizing waitlist recipients with the highest need, provided excellent outcomes during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare provision has been severely affected by COVID-19, with specific challenges in organ transplantation. Here, we describe the coordinated response to, and outcomes during the first wave, across all UK liver transplant (LT) centers. Methods: Several policy changes affecting the liver transplant processes were agreed upon. These included donor age restrictions and changes to offering. A “high-urgency” (HU) category was established, prioritizing only those with UKELD > 60, HCC reaching transplant criteria, and others likely to die within 90 days. Outcomes were compared with the same period in 2018 and 2019. Results: The retrieval rate for deceased donor livers (71% vs. 54%; P