Commissioning Policy:
Reimbursement of
Expenses for Living
Donors
Reference: NHS England A06/P/a
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Standard Operating Procedure:
Clinical Commissioning Policy:
Reimbursement of Expenses for Living
Donors
First published: June 2017
Updated: December 2021
Prepared by NHS England Specialised Services Clinical Reference Group for
Renal Services
Published by NHS England, in electronic format only.
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Contents. .......................................................................................................................... 4
1 Executive Summary .............................................................................................. 5
2 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 6
3 Aims ....................................................................................................................... 6
4 Summary ............................................................................................................... 6
5 Key Principles for Reimbursement....................................................................... 7
6 Living Organ Donors who are non-resident in the UK ........................................ 8
7 National Living Donor Kidney Sharing Schemes (NLDKSS) .............................. 9
8 Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit .......................................................... 10
9 Travel Expenses ................................................................................................. 10
10 Miscellaneous Expenses .................................................................................... 11
11 Governance ......................................................................................................... 11
12 Claims Process ................................................................................................... 15
13 Responsibilities ................................................................................................... 16
14 Timelines ............................................................................................................. 18
15 Declaration .......................................................................................................... 18
16 Appeals ................................................................................................................ 18
Appendix 1a Donor Information … ………………………………………….…………...19
Appendix 1b Template letters and Claim Forms ……………………………....24
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1 Executive Summary
1.1 Policy Statement
NHS England will reimburse living donors in order to ensure that the financial impact
on the living donor is cost neutral.
This policy document is designed to inform healthcare professionals and
commissioning authorities about the principles and processes that underpin financial
reimbursement for living donors. The principle of reimbursement is founded on the
premise that there should be no financial incentive or disincentive in becoming a
living donor.
1.2 Equality and Health Inequalities Statement
Promoting equality and addressing health inequalities are at the heart of NHS
England’s values. Throughout the development of the policies and processes cited in
this document, we have:
• Given due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and
victimisation, to advance equality or opportunity, and to foster good relations
between people who share a relevant protected characteristic (as cited under
the Equality Act 2010) and those who do not share it; and
• Given regard to the need to reduce inequalities between patients in access to,
and outcomes from healthcare services and to ensure services are provided in
an integrated way where this might reduce health inequalities.
1.3 Plain Language Summary
This policy explains how a person who wishes to donate an organ can receive a
refund for loss of earnings and some other costs such as travel. Ideally this refund
should be applied for before the planned surgery to remove the organ and this
document explains how someone can apply and what they need to do.
This policy sets out the rules about how and what can be refunded and what is
expected from the patient making the application for the refund, what is expected
from the hospital and what is expected from NHS England.
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2 Introduction
This Policy is designed to inform healthcare professionals and commissioning
authorities about the principles and processes that underpin financial reimbursement
for living organ donors. It is compatible with practice in the other UK countries.
3 Aims
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the financial impact on the living organ donor
is cost neutral. Reimbursement of expenses must be proportionate and fair for the
individual and administered in a consistent and timely manner. Best practice must be
congruent with the Human Tissue Act 2004 and Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006.
4 Summary
The following points summarise the policy in England (but with a view to being
compatible with policies from other UK countries – Wales, Scotland, Northern
Ireland) for the reimbursement of costs associated with undertaking a living donation.
A living donation could either be a directed donation (to a relative, friend or other), or
as part of the UK Living Kidney Sharing Schemes (UKLKSS) (i.e. paired/pooled
donation or non-directed altruistic donation and altruistic donor chains):
a) The principle of reimbursement is founded on the premise that there should
be no financial incentive or disincentive in becoming a living donor;
b) A robust, stratified claims assessment process based upon the level of risk
and proportionality is required i.e. in line with the donor’ earning, in order to
assess claims accurately across the spectrum of costs.
c) The financial reimbursement will reflect the loss of earnings and other relevant
expenses, except where exceptions apply (section 11.1b).
d) The calculation of reimbursement will be agreed in a transparent and
consistent manner before donation so that donors receive reimbursement with
the minimum of delay post donation.
e) Special arrangements for retrospective consideration of claims may apply
where there is insufficient time prior to donation for prospective agreement
e.g. donors who are non-resident in the UK, urgent lobe of liver donation, non-
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directed altruistic donors and where a subsequent claim is made for previously
unforeseen expenses.
f) Reimbursement is funded by NHS England. Mechanisms must be in place to
process payments to avoid delay (section 13.1).
g) Potential donors who are unsuitable to proceed to donation are eligible to
claim for reimbursement of travel expenses, including parking costs.
h) Under exceptional circumstances, additional reimbursement costs may be
considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of NHS England.
5 Key Principles for Reimbursement
The key principles that underpin the application and approval processes to prevent
delay in settling claims are:
I. Individual claims must be submitted and settled in a timely manner to prevent
unnecessary financial hardship to the donor as a consequence of the donation.
II. Claims will be settled by NHS England on an individual basis according to
agreed criteria specified within the governance structure (see section 11.2).
III. Potential claims will be identified early in the donor assessment period (see
sections 12, 13).
IV. Whenever possible, notification to NHS England of a claim should be made
prior to the date of donation, e.g. when assessment is complete and/or the date
of surgery is scheduled. However, there should also be provision for considering
claims retrospectively if, for genuine reasons, it has not been possible to make a
prospective claim to NHS England (see section 4e). Claimants should discuss
this with their trust and notify the intention to claim as soon as possible and
within the timelines set out in this policy.
V. Donor expectations about the nature and size of claims that will be approved
must be appropriately managed.
VI. As early as possible in the assessment process, donors must be provided with
appropriate and specific information about the criteria for application, supporting
evidence required and approval processes and timeframes.
VII. Validated income and alternative sources of reimbursement, (e.g. salary,
statutory sick pay) must be declared and full supporting evidence (e.g. pay slips,
tax return, social security certificates) provided by the donor at the time of
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application for reimbursement (see FAQs for more detail: What do I need to
make a claim?)
6 Living Organ Donors who are non-resident in the UK
There are cases when the individual wishing to donate is non-resident in the UK.
There are two categories of donors who live overseas:
1. Full-time residents (non-UK residents)
2. UK residents living temporarily overseas (e.g. for work or personal reasons)
For both categories, only donors who plan to donate to a NHS entitled recipient are
eligible to apply for reimbursement of expenses through this Policy.
Where donors proceed to donation it is possible for claims to be made for
reimbursement of overseas donor expenses such as flight costs, loss of earnings and
reasonable accommodation costs incurred during their stay in England. If a donation
does not proceed due to circumstances that could not have been foreseen prior to
arrival in the UK, consideration should be given to reimbursing the travel and visa
application expenses (if applicable) incurred by the potential donor (see section
11.1).
There are organ specific UK best practice guidelines for the evaluation of donors
living overseas and protocols have been agreed between the key stakeholders within
the wider transplant community, UK Visas and Immigration and Human Tissue
Authority (HTA). These can be accessed at:
Best practice guidelines for the evaluation of donors living overseas (British
Transplantation Society website). Ideally costs are reimbursed directly to the donor.
There may be circumstances where this is impractical because the donor does not
have a UK Bank Account. The HTA allows flexibility to reimburse another family
member or the recipient where necessary, provided that costs are appropriate and
relate to the expenses incurred by the donor as a result of the donation process.
The Living Donor Coordinator must notify the relevant commissioners of a potential
non-resident donor as soon as possible i.e. when the donor arrives in the UK with an
appropriate visa (if required).
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7 UK Living Kidney Sharing Schemes (UKLKSS)
The UKLKSS is the collective term used to describe the scheme in which donated
kidneys are “shared” across the UK. These include paired/pooled donation (PPD)
and altruistic donor chains (ADC), initiated by non-directed altruistic donations
(NDADs)
Prospective agreement of donor costs from NHS England may not be feasible in
cases of NDAD and ADC donation because the recipient may live anywhere in the
UK and arrangements outside England may apply. The living donor coordinator
should have prior knowledge of a claim and the proposed amount that the NDAD
intends to claim prior to donation so that donor expectations can be managed. It is
recommended that the appropriate paperwork and application are prepared in
advance so that, when a NDAD is matched to a recipient, a claim can be expedited
as quickly as possible according to the agreed process (see section 12).
7.1 Paired/Pooled Donation
In cases of paired/pooled donation (PPD) kidneys are exchanged between recipient
and donor pairs in either two-way (paired) or three-way or more (pooled) exchange.
In this case the reimbursement of the donor will be agreed locally with the recipient
commissioners. This facilitates prospective agreement and works on the basis of
reciprocity (i.e. all recipients ultimately receive a transplant when matched).
7.2 Altruistic Living Donors (non-directed altruistic donation,
including altruistic donor chains)
This is where a person volunteers to donate a kidney or a lobe of liver to an unknown
recipient, that is, someone they have never met before and who is not known to the
donor. They may donate directly to the national waiting list to a single recipient, or,
alternatively, in the case of kidney donation, an altruistic donor chain may be created
in which donor recipient pairs (within the paired/pooled scheme) may benefit from
donation from an altruistic donor; the end of the chain results in a kidney being
donated to the national transplant list.
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Where there is a non-directed altruistic donation (NDAD) the donor who triggers a
‘chain’ will claim reimbursement from the commissioners responsible for the recipient
at the end of the chain. The PPD donor-recipient pairs involved will claim
reimbursement as described in section 7.1.
8 Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit
A person’s entitlement to Child Tax Credit will not be affected by being a living donor.
A short absence (see section 14) from work should not affect a donor’s entitlement to
Working Tax Credit, including the child care element. This is because HM Revenue &
Customs does not regard the absence as affecting the donor’s “usual working hours”
provided that he/she plans to return to work as soon as he/she has recovered. When
entitlement to either or both of the tax credits is assessed, only taxable income is
taken into account. If donors receive non-taxable income, they are not required to
report it to the Inland Revenue. Donors who need further information can contact the
Tax Credit Helpline on 0345 300 3900 for further advice.
9 Travel Expenses
Any reasonable claim for travel expenses is considered on an individual basis and
documentation to support the claim for these expenses is required.
Appropriate travel costs are calculated on the basis of the cheapest and/or most
appropriate mode of public transport (including any promotional or concessionary
fares) available to the patient. Mileage is paid in line with HM Revenue and Customs
Mileage Allowance Payments (MAP) (see section 11.1).
If the donor is claiming tax credit, they may claim travelling expenses directly from
the Trust. Although it is preferable for donors to comply with the process outlined in
this document, in cases of financial hardship reimbursement of travel expenses at the
point of need may be more appropriate. If expenses are claimed from the Trust, the
claim cannot be duplicated as part of the overall reimbursement claim.
10 Miscellaneous Expenses
It is possible that a donor may incur additional expenses as a direct result of the
donation (e.g. additional child care / employment costs/ accommodation). Claims for
reimbursement of these costs are considered on an individual basis by designated
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personnel in NHS England (see section 11.2). Documentation to support the claim for
these expenses must be provided by the donor and accompany the application.
Miscellaneous expenses must be considered reasonable and proportionate and,
where possible, anticipated prior to donation.
11 Governance
A governance structure has been agreed to provide the appropriate level of scrutiny
for all claims. This is designed to support the timely and consistent payment of
legitimate claims and to provide a robust risk management strategy to underpin the
policy.
11.1 Evidence to support claims (to be provided by the claimant)
The claimant is responsible for submitting the best evidence available i.e. receipts,
invoices and statements. In the absence of direct evidence, supplementary
documentation e.g. letters of confirmation or testimonies, may be considered to
support claims. Lack of supporting evidence will delay the claims assessment and
reimbursement process.
a) LOSS OF EARNINGS
Salaried Donors
• Reimbursement is based upon gross income if self-employed (donor will have
to declare on tax return) and net income if employed.
• Payslips should be ideally provided for a 6 month period, but, for a minimum of
3 months.
• Overtime – look at overtime patterns and claims as a whole overtime
payments over a 3/6month period may be request and averaged and P60 from
closest financial year.
• Stipulate that “additional income will be considered on a case-by-case basis”
and that “by signing this application form, you are providing authorisation for
the commissioner to contact your employer to clarify any payments”.
• Payment will be processed on notification to NHS England that the donation
has proceeded or presentation of medical/discharge certificate.
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• Donors must provide evidence of any statutory sick pay (SSP) received – they
will be entitled to top-up if SSP is lower than their salary.
Self-employed Donors
• Copy of latest tax return or evidence of validated income e.g. bank statement
• If a new business (operating for under 12/12), their accountant will provide
details of net earnings to date.
• Evidence of Employment and Support Allowance received
Unemployed Donors
• If donors believe that they have lost benefits through donation, relevant
information must be submitted. Liaison with the benefits and/or other agencies
is required to endorse claim.
b) DONOR OUTGOINGS
Travel
• Travel is reimbursed for the donor ONLY.
• Standard class travel claims only will be considered for reimbursement.
• Mileage will be reimbursed at the HM Revenue and Customs Mileage
Allowance Payment (MAP) rate. Current rates can be confirmed at
HM Revenue and Customs Mileage Allowance Payment (MAP) rates
• Parking, toll and congestion charges will be reimbursed where supported by
receipts.
• Taxis will be reimbursed only when used by the donor in the post-operative
period unless it can be demonstrated that bus links between a railway station
and hospital are not available at the time required for appointments.
Accommodation
Donors may claim accommodation costs on the basis of the actual room/per person
rate paid up to a maximum of cost in line with usual NHSE reimbursement policy.
Current guidance is that the cost of accommodation cannot exceed £100 per night for
hotels booked outside of London and £150 per night for hotels booked in London.
Both limits are inclusive of VAT, breakfast and any other charges without exception.
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These may be subject to change so should be checked before processing claims.
Advice will be available from the living donation co-ordinator.
Other Expenses
• The commissioner will consider claims for expenses incurred by the donor as
a direct result of donation. These costs include reimbursement of expenses
incurred through the evaluation process, in-patient stay and for up to 12 weeks
post-operatively.
• Care of a dependent will be considered on an individual basis. The donor is
responsible for exploring entitlement to support from Social Services in this
situation.
• Backfill cover for business – this will be linked to loss of earnings but assume
that, if cover is in place, earnings have not been ‘lost’. Evidence of reasonable
backfill costs may be requested by NHS England including bank transfer
details.
• Donation-related prescription costs.
c) Non UK resident donors
• Non UK resident donors who proceed to donation are entitled to claim
reimbursement for travel, accommodation, visa costs (including extension),
and loss of earnings but not for “living expenses”.
• Non UK resident donors who do not proceed to donation are entitled to
claim for travel, accommodation, visa costs (including extension) but not loss
of earnings or “living expenses”.
• Once donors (both proceeding and non-proceeding) have returned overseas,
they are not entitled to claim further expenses through this Policy. However in
exceptional circumstances, applications for reimbursement will be considered
by NHS England on a case by case basis.
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11.2. Risk Management
Claim applications will be reviewed by designated personnel within NHS England.
Designated authority to sign off invoices will be according to local arrangements
within Commissioning hubs according to delegated authority.
Each claim will be assigned a Red-Amber-Green (RAG) rating. Claims can be
escalated through the scale, e.g. from amber to red if there is concern that the claim
is fraudulent. If a claim is thought to be fraudulent it will be referred to the NHS
England counter fraud team.
The claim form must be signed by the responsible commissioner within NHS England
and will reflect the workings/decision-making process, e.g. overtime calculations.
All panels can be virtual (i.e. discussions via telephone/e-mail)
Green - single commissioner sign-off
• Value of up to £999
• Straight forward claims, e.g. clear relevant evidence provided
• Commissioner should be comfortable/authorised to sign off
Amber - panel e.g. consisting of at least 3 people
• Value of £1,000 to £4,999
• Complex claims, e.g. bonuses/overtime, carers, or where claim is subjective
• Overseas and non-proceeding donors
Red – extended panel, e.g. to include expert advice from another area/discipline
• Value of greater than £5,000
• Complex, contentious claims
• Potentially fraudulent claims
• Altruistic donors/shared kidneys
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12 Claims Process
Model for Reimbursement of Living Donor Expenses*
* based upon best practice principles in ‘UK Guidelines for Living Donor Kidney
Transplantation’, 2018.
earnings, monthly/weekly payments, sick pay entitlement, travel, accommodation,
identifying other relevant sources of funding/entitlements for expenses e.g.
reimbursed from the Trust on the day of appointment/investigation (e.g. for donors
on income support).
supporting information, enclosing relevant information, to seek approval for the
claim.
▪ Payment plan to be established prior to planned date of surgery following receipt of
most recent supporting documentation (see section 11.1)
▪ NHS Trust issues first medical certificate to donor on admission.
a) pays the donor directly or
b) reimburses the local Trust (where local arrangements apply).
Initial agreement should be for maximum of 12 weeks with flexibility to apply for
extension if required.
▪ Retrospective reimbursement maybe considered if unforeseen circumstances
▪ Initial payment for 6 weeks, extendable when supported by Medical certs to 12
weeks if still off work. Claims to be submitted within an absolute maximum of 28
working days from the end of the claim period.
▪ Identify potential reimbursement requirements with donor at early stage of
assessment, i.e. loss of earnings, travel expenses.
▪ Provide donor with information pack & application form to apply to NHS England
Involve Social Worker if available to assist
EMPLOYED DONORS
• Medical certificate submitted by donor
to employer for SSP
• NHS Trust notifies NHS England that
donation has proceeded and forwards
1
st
payslip showing loss of earnings
post-surgery with copy of medical
certificate when available
• Payment processed on notification
of donation and commences as per
sum agreed by prior approval from
date of transplant
SELF-EMPLOYED DONORS
• Medical certificate submitted by
donor to Department of Works and
Pensions for incapacity benefit
• NHS Trust notifies NHS England
that donation has proceeded and
forwards copy of medical certificate
forwarded
• Payment processed on notification
of donation and commences as
per sum agreed by prior approval
from date of transplant
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13 Responsibilities
13.1 Claimant (donor)
a) To achieve prospective approval from NHS England, it is the responsibility of the
claimant (donor) to ensure that:
• The donor’s Trust is alerted at an early stage that he/she wishes to submit
a reimbursement claim.
• All paperwork related to the claim is accurate and complete and submitted
to the Trust representative (living donor co-ordinator (LDC)/Social Worker
(SW)/ Administrative Support (AS)).
• Explicit consent is given for NHS England staff who are involved in
processing the expenses claim to receive relevant information and
evidence pertinent to processing the claim and also be permitted to make
direct contact with the claimant as required to process the claim.
• All claims are submitted to NHS England according to the process in
section 13.1b below.
Amended from the original – please see explanatory note
b) It is the responsibility of the claimant (donor) to ensure that, when the donor
assessment is complete and/or the transplant has been scheduled:
• All claim forms are fully and accurately completed before submission
• All supporting evidence is available, including confirmation of support from
claimant’s employer
• Checklist is completed
• All information is submitted in a timely fashion.
Provided that the documentation and supporting evidence are complete and
accurate, the claim will be processed within a maximum of 28 working days of
receipt. Payment is subject to notification to NHS England that the donation has
proceeded.
13.2 Trust Representative (see above)
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a) To achieve prospective approval from NHS England, it is the responsibility of the
Trust Representative (LDC/SW/AS) to:
• Provide the Donor Information Pack (Appendix 1) to the potential claimant
at an early stage in the donor evaluation.
• Check that the claimant’s information corresponds with outpatient and
inpatient dates and ensure that the evidence correlates to the information
within the claim form.
• To provide the donor with the contact details of the NHSE representative
processing the claim.
b) To progress a claim, it is the responsibility of the Trust representative to:
• Check information submitted by the Claimant correlates with outpatient and
inpatient dates.
• Send information collated by the Claimant to NHS England and to Trust
Finance department (where local arrangements apply) to minimise delay in
receipt of information to progress the claim.
13.3 Commissioner (NHS England)
For all claims, it is the responsibility of NHS England to ensure that:
• The claim is processed as soon as possible so that payment is processed
within 28 working days of receipt of the claim and payment can commence
from the date of donation.
• Acknowledgement that the claim has been received is sent to the donor
• Confirmation of approval/clarifications needed are notified promptly to the
LDC/SW and the donor as necessary i.e. clarification about the content
and supporting information in the application should be directed towards
the donor and clinical queries to the LDC.
• The donor is reimbursed directly from NHS England or NHS Trust (where
local arrangements apply) within the specified timeframes (see above).
• Appropriate contact details for designated personnel dealing with claims
are provided to Claimants and NHS Trust Representatives.
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14 Timelines
The following are guidelines for the recovery process. These are total recovery times
from admission to anticipated return to normal activity.
• Return to normal lifestyle or work activity by 12 weeks depending upon
lifestyle and work commitments i.e. sedentary/physically strenuous. This
includes donors who are recovering from ‘open’ procedures as well as
minimally invasive surgery.
• Caveats will apply if there are post-operative complications, e.g. wound
infection, hernia etc., which may extend the anticipated inpatient
stay/readmission/further procedure and/or recovery time.
15 Declaration
For expenses to be met, the donor MUST take personal responsibility for his/her own
care and follow reasonable medical advice.
The information included in each claim will be strictly validated to ensure that it is
reasonable and appropriate. Referring Units and Transplant centres are required to
provide the necessary mechanisms to ensure that ALL information is correct and
legitimate. It should be noted that all claims require the signature of the donor,
agreeing to the following declaration:
“I declare that the information given is correct and complete. I consent to the
disclosure of relevant information for the purposes of checking this and in relation to
the prevention and detection of fraud. I understand that if I knowingly withhold
information or provide false information, I may be liable for criminal prosecution
and/or civil proceedings.”
16 Appeals
• All claims are recorded by NHS England.
• Appeals are considered in accordance with NHS England policies and
protocols.
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Appendix 1a: Donor Information
Reimbursement of Expenses for Living Organ Donors
Donor Information
This information pack is designed to:
1. Advise you how to make a claim
2. Answer frequently asked questions
3. Inform you about what to expect
How do you make a claim?
STEP 1
• The living donor co-ordinator will inform you during your clinic
visit about the reimbursement process and what you will need
to do to make a claim.
• An Information pack will be provided which will include
frequently asked questions and a claim form.
• Please note that you need to complete the claim form yourself
and supply relevant documentation/evidence to support your
claim.
STEP 2
• Accurately complete the claim form and return it to the living
donor co-ordinator along with the relevant evidence to support
your claim. The more information you provide to support your
application, the easier it is to process and approve your
reimbursement.
STEP 3
• The living donor co-ordinator will check and confirm your
attendance dates on the claim form, sign and forward your
application to the NHS England with the evidence to support all
aspects of the claim.
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RESPONSIBILITIES
Donor /Claimant
In order for your claim to be considered, you must:
1. Inform the living donor co-ordinator as soon as possible if you would like to
submit a claim for reimbursement.
2. Provide a letter from your employer (if employed) confirming the level of sick
pay you will get if you go ahead to donate.
3. Ensure you are claiming any other benefits you may be entitled to e.g.
statutory sick pay or help with travel costs etc.
4. Ensure the claim form is fully and accurately completed and signed before
submitting it to the living donor co-ordinator.
5. Ensure all supporting evidence / documentation is collected and submitted
with the claim.
6. Complete and return the checklist
7. Submit the claim form in a timely fashion - preferably when your date of
donation is scheduled. In order to be considered, all claims must be submitted
within a maximum of 28 working days from the end of the claim period.
8. Inform NHS England if you return to work whilst you are receiving
reimbursement or if you have been overpaid.
Hospital Trust Representative / Living Donor Co-ordinator / Social Worker
The Hospital Trust Representative will:
• Provide a donor information pack at an early stage.
• Check and confirm the inpatient / outpatient appointments on the submitted
claim form and ensure that the evidence submitted correlates to the claim.
• Check that the claim form is fully completed
• Send the claim form and relevant evidence provided by the donor to NHS
England
• Provide the contact details of the NHSE personnel responsible for the
processing of the claim to the claimant
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NHS England
The NHS England Representative will:
• Acknowledge receipt of the reimbursement claim to the donor and Living
Donor co-ordinator.
• Process the claim within 28 working days, provided that the information is
accurate and complete.
• Contact the donor directly if further information is required regarding the
submitted supporting evidence.
• Ensure the claim is approved to commence payment from the scheduled date
of donation
Reimbursement Information for potential living organ donors
You are currently undergoing tests to assess your suitability to become a living organ
donor.
Your Living Donor Co-ordinator will have explained that you will be required to attend
hospital for several appointments and investigations as part of the work up process.
If you are found to be suitable to donate you will also need a period of time after the
operation to recover and recuperate.
It is possible to submit a claim for reimbursement of loss of earnings, travel costs and
other relevant expenses that have occurred due to the donation process.
Any claims submitted by a donor will be assessed on an individual basis by the NHS
England in line with the reimbursement of expenses for living organ donors’ policy
document.
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Frequently asked questions
What is donor reimbursement?
Under the Human Tissue Act 2004 payment for donating a human organ is illegal.
However, the Act does support the reimbursement of reasonable expenses for travel,
loss of earnings and other expenses if directly attributable to the organ donation
process.
When should I start to think about my reimbursement claim?
As soon as possible.
The living donor co-ordinator will provide you with an information pack at the early
stage of your testing to assess your suitability as a donor. Read the information
provided and start to gather the evidence required to support your reimbursement
claim. For example, train tickets, parking receipts and a letter from your employer
confirming the level of sick pay you will get if you go on to donate, validated evidence
of self-employed income –tax return/paid invoices.
What happens if I have had investigations and have found out I am not suitable
to donate? Can I still make a claim?
You may submit a claim for reimbursement of travelling expenses and parking. In
exceptional circumstances additional reimbursement costs may be considered.
I am an altruistic donor can I make a claim for reimbursement?
Yes, you can make a claim. The relevant commissioner for the recipient who has
benefited from your donated kidney will be responsible for dealing with your claim.
I am in the paired / pooled list as part of the national living donor kidney
sharing scheme (NLDKSS) can I still make a claim for reimbursement?
Yes, you can make a claim. Depending upon where you live in the UK, this will be
submitted to the relevant commissioner for that country.
What do I need to make a claim?
You will need to provide proof of:
• Current employment status / income / pay slips
• Details about any benefits you currently receive or may receive following the
donation / confirmation of loss of benefits.
• If employed, you will need to obtain a letter from your employer confirming the
arrangements for work absence, sick pay, unpaid leave, partial pay.
• If self-employed, you will need to provide details of gross income (before tax)
from the last year.
• Travel tickets / receipts or mileage travelled by car.
• Miscellaneous receipts, e.g. accommodation.
You will need to submit the completed claim form and checklist
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I am coming from overseas to donate. Can I still make a reimbursement claim?
Yes you can make a claim provided that you plan to donate to someone who lives in
the UK and is entitled to NHS treatment. The living donor co-ordinator will need to
inform NHS England as soon as you arrive in the UK.
Who makes the final decision on a reimbursement claim?
NHS England will make the final decision on any reimbursement claim after looking
at the evidence you have supplied with your claim form.
Can my claim be rejected?
All claims will be scrutinised to prevent fraudulent or inappropriate claims being
authorised. If evidence submitted with your claim is insufficient you may be asked by
the NHS England to provide further information or evidence. This will delay how
quickly your claim can be processed.
How much will I be reimbursed?
This will vary according to your individual circumstances. You should not be
financially worse off as a result of the donation process, but neither should you make
any financial gain as this would constitute payment for donation, which is illegal.
Travel costs for donors can be reimbursed and will be calculated on the basis of the
cheapest and most appropriate mode of public transport.
Reasonable reimbursement of accommodation charges will be made up to the
national average cost of a room.
When will I receive my reimbursement?
NHS England will aim to process your claim and approve it within 28 working days so
that payment can be made to you as quickly as possible once NHS England is
notified that the donation has gone ahead.
What if I return to work while I am still being reimbursed?
If you return to employed or self-employed work during your period of reimbursement
you must inform NHS England. You will need to repay the appropriate amount of
reimbursement as the calculations will have been done on the basis of the amount of
time you expected to be unable to work.
Who can help me make a reimbursement claim?
The living donor co-ordinator will inform you about the donor reimbursement process
at an early stage of your assessment to donate. You will need to complete the claim
form yourself and obtain all the relevant documentation to support your claim. Your
hospital may also have a Renal Social Worker who can help you with queries related
to your claim e.g. sick pay and benefits.
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Appendix 1b: Template letters and Claim Forms
Template letter and claim form for reimbursement of living donor expenses
[Trust Headed Paper]
[Date]
To whom it may concern [NHS England],
Re: Reimbursement of Living Donor Expenses for
Donor name:……………………………………..Date of Birth:
Hospital No:……………………………………...NHS No:
Address:
The above named person has been assessed as a living kidney/lobe of liver * (delete
as necessary) donor and the date of donation is scheduled/was* (delete as
necessary) [insert date].
Please find enclosed a completed claim form and supporting documentation for
reimbursement of expenses.
The claimant consents for NHS England staff involved in processing the expenses
claim to receive relevant information and evidence pertinent to processing the claim
and also be permitted to make direct contact with the claimant as required.
We would be grateful if you could confirm receipt of this letter to [insert email
address].
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. I look forward to
hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Living Donor Co-ordinator
cc: potential donor
cc: Trust Finance Department (where local arrangements apply)
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LIVING ORGAN DONOR
CLAIM FORM FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES
This form must be completed in full. Missing information will delay your claim. Please
complete all relevant sections before submitting the form to your Trust
Representative for signature and final submission.
Please attach all supporting evidence to this claim form (see ‘Donor Information’
Frequently Asked Questions)
For the purposes of completing the form:
• The ‘Claimant’ is the donor
• The ‘Trust Representative’ is the Living Donor Co-ordinator/ Administrative
Assistant/ Social Worker
• The ‘Commissioner’ is the NHS England
Section 1: DONOR AND RECIPIENT INFORMATION.
To be completed by the Claimant.
Name of donor:
NHS Number:
Date of Birth:
Address:
Email:
Telephone number/s:
Name of recipient (If applicable):
NHS Number:
Date of Birth:
Address:
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Section 2: RELEVANT APPOINTMENTS/HOSPITAL ATTENDANCES
To be completed by the Claimant and confirmed by the Trust Representative.
Date
Hospital/clinic
Reason for
appointment
Initials of Trust
representative to
confirm each
entry
Signature of Trust Representative to confirm attendances:
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Section 3: TRAVEL EXPENSES
To be completed by Claimant. NB: only complete this section if you have not
been previously reimbursed for your travel expenses by the Hospital Trust.
Mileage is paid at HM Customs and Revenue Mileage Allowance Payment
(MAP) rate.
Date and
time
Journey
To/From
Mileage (if
driving)
Amount
claimed
Evidence
attached
Yes/No*
Total
* see section 6
If you have been informed that you are unable to donate, please go directly to
Section 6
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Section 4: PREDICTED LOSS OF EARNINGS (IF DONATION IS PLANNED TO
PROCEED)
To be completed by the Claimant.
Proposed Date of Donation
(if agreed)
Dates
Amount claimed
Evidence attached
Yes/No*
Total
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Section 5: OTHER EXPENSES
To be completed by Claimant. NB: only complete this section if you have
incurred/are likely to incur other expenses that are directly related to your
donation.
Dates
Type of
expense
Reason
Amount
claimed
Evidence
attached
Yes/No*
Total
* see section 6
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Section 6: SUPPORTING STATEMENT
To be completed by Claimant. Please provide any additional information
that you wish to be considered e.g. if supporting evidence cannot be
provided and/or anything else that may affect your claim.
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Section 7: DECLARATION
To be signed by the Claimant.
I declare that the information given is correct and complete. I consent to
the disclosure of relevant information for the purposes of checking this and
in relation to the prevention and detection of fraud. I understand that if I
knowingly withhold information or provide false information, I may be liable
for criminal prosecution and/or civil proceedings.
I consent for NHS England staff involved in processing my expenses claim
to receive relevant information and evidence pertinent to processing the
claim and also be permitted to make direct contact with me as required.
Signed: ___________________________________ Date: _____________
Print Name: _______________________________
Final Checklist
Please ensure that you complete the following checklist before submitting your
claim form:
To be completed by Claimant to accompany claim form.
Have you:
Please initial to confirm
1. Completed all relevant sections on the
form?
2. Enclosed all relevant supporting
evidence/information?
3. Signed and dated the declaration?
Please submit your completed form, supporting information and attached
checklist to your Trust Representative to sign the relevant sections. He/she will
send your application NHS England.
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Section 7: CONFIRMATION BY TRUST REPRESENTATIVE
To be signed by the Living Donor Co-ordinator.
I confirm that the above person has (**delete as applicable):
**Been assessed as a living organ donor and is suitable to donate a
kidney/lobe of liver * (delete as necessary).
**Been assessed as a living organ donor but is unsuitable to donate and
will not be proceeding to donation.
Signed: ___________________________________ Date: _____________
Print Name: _______________________________
Hospital Trust:_____________________________
For office use only section to be included to reflect claims approval process