Organ Transfer
When a donor organ becomes available, every minute counts. First Response Aviation Group coordinates the time-critical transport of donor organs and medical retrieval teams between hospitals and transplant centres, by air and road, 24 hours a day, as part of our medical repatriation and air ambulance services.
What we coordinate
- Air transport of organs and retrieval teams between hospitals and transplant centres
- Rapid ground transfers between hospitals and airports
- Flight planning, permits and ground handling at short notice
- Secure handling and continuous tracking of the consignment
- Clear communication with the hospital and transplant teams throughout
Speed, safety and care
Organ transfers are planned to the minute. We work closely with the requesting hospital or transplant team to agree timings, handovers and contact points, so the organ and the medical team arrive safely and on time. It’s the same careful, handover-by-handover planning behind our bed-to-bed service.
Who we work with
We support hospitals, transplant centres and retrieval teams that need reliable, time-critical transport, in the UK and internationally.
Why speed matters
Donor organs can only be preserved outside the body for a limited time, and some organs, such as hearts and lungs, need to be transplanted within a few hours. Every stage of the journey, from collection to delivery, needs to be planned around these time limits, with contingencies in place in case anything changes.
How an organ transfer works
- The hospital or transplant team contacts us with the collection point, destination and timings.
- We confirm the fastest safe route, by road, air or a combination of both.
- Ground transport collects the organ, or the retrieval team, at the agreed time.
- Where a flight is needed, the aircraft is ready to depart as soon as the consignment arrives at the airport.
- On arrival, ground transport takes the organ or team straight to the transplant centre.
- We confirm delivery to the requesting team, with timings recorded throughout.
Air or road?
For shorter distances, road transport is often fastest, once the time to reach and leave airports is taken into account. For longer distances, or across water, a flight can save critical hours, using aircraft arranged in the same way as our air ambulance transfers. We plan each transfer around the quickest safe option, and can combine road and air to make the most of every minute.
Chain of custody and documentation
Organs must be handled carefully and tracked at every stage. Each handover is recorded, with times and the names of the people involved, so the hospital and transplant team know exactly where the consignment is, and who is responsible for it, throughout the journey.
- Recorded handovers at every stage
- Agreed contact points at the sending and receiving hospitals
- Updates to the transplant team at key moments
- Secure handling of the transport container throughout
Retrieval teams and equipment
As well as the organ itself, we can coordinate transport for medical retrieval teams travelling to and from the donor hospital, together with their equipment. Aircraft and vehicles are chosen to carry the team and their equipment safely, with enough space to work.
Readiness around the clock
Organ transfers can be needed at any hour, often with very little notice. Our concierge line is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so planning can start the moment a hospital calls.
Contingency planning
Time-critical journeys need a back-up plan. For every transfer, we consider alternative routes, vehicles and airports, and how changes in weather, traffic or timings would be handled, so a delay in one part of the journey doesn’t put the transplant at risk.
- Alternative road routes and back-up vehicles
- Alternative airports if the planned airport becomes unavailable
- Agreed timings with contingency built in
- Clear decision points agreed with the transplant team
Coordinating with airports
Where flights are involved, the aircraft operator and ground handling teams arrange the airport side of the journey, so the consignment can move between the vehicle and the aircraft as quickly as possible. We coordinate the timings between road and air, so there’s no waiting at either end.
Confidentiality
Organ donation and transplantation involve highly sensitive information about donors, recipients and their families. We share only the information needed to plan and carry out the transfer, and treat everything else in strict confidence.
Working with transplant coordinators
Transplant coordinators manage a complex process with many moving parts. We fit around their plan, agree a single contact for the journey, and keep them updated at every stage, so they can focus on the patient and the transplant team.
What we need when you call
- The collection point and destination hospitals
- The required departure and arrival times
- Whether a retrieval team and equipment are travelling
- Contact names and numbers at both hospitals
- Any special handling instructions for the consignment
Our partners
Flights are operated by appropriately licensed air ambulance, and ground transfers by licensed providers experienced in time-critical medical logistics, coordinated by First Response Aviation Group.
Common questions about organ transfer
Are you available at any time?
Yes. Organ transfers can be needed at any hour, so our concierge line is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Can you transport the retrieval team as well as the organ?
Yes. We can coordinate transport for the medical retrieval team and their equipment, as well as the organ itself.
How quickly can you respond?
Planning starts as soon as you call. Response times depend on the location, the route and the availability of transport, and we’ll confirm realistic timings straight away.
Do you work with hospitals outside the UK?
Yes. We can coordinate international organ transfers, subject to permits and transport availability.
Can you transport other time-critical medical items?
Please call us to discuss your requirements. We’ll tell you straight away whether we can help, and how.
Is the service available at weekends and on bank holidays?
Yes. Our concierge line is answered every day of the year, including weekends and bank holidays.
Who decides whether to travel by road or air?
We recommend the quickest safe option based on the distance, timings and transport available, and agree the plan with the hospital or transplant team before anything is booked. The final decision is always theirs.
To arrange an organ transfer, call our 24-hour concierge line on 01268 204 607, or send us a message.
Request a quote
Request a medical transport quote
Tell us about the patient and the journey, and we’ll come back to you with the right options and a clear quotation. For anything urgent, call our 24-hour concierge line on 01268 204 607.