Transplant Unit

Before you go home, you will need a follow-up appointment for the next renal transplant clinic. Normally, our ward clerk will make this appointment for you.

Future arrangements will vary depending on how you are doing, but normally you will need to attend for out-patient follow up at Addenbrooke’s according to the following schedule.

Weeks 1 - 4          Monday and Thursday

Weeks 5 - 10        Thursday

Weeks 11 - 20      Every other Thursday

Weeks 21 - 52      Every 4 weeks on Thursday

If you were referred from the dialysis centres in Ipswich, Norwich or Stevenage, you will normally be referred back to your local transplant clinic for further follow-up three to six months after your transplant.

The renal transplant clinics take place in Clinic 12 at Addenbrooke's Out-patients Department. The clinic has recently been re-furbished.

Always bring an up to date list of your medication when you come to out-patient clinic. Medication record cards can be provided.

Instructions for Monday follow-up clinics

• Arrive at the latest by 10:30 am and report to Out-patient Phlebotomy (the blood taking room), where your blood will be taken for routine tests. You do not need to bring urine specimens on Mondays.
• Take your morning dose of cyclosporin after the blood test!
• You are then free until your clinic appointment time.
• The blood results will be available in the clinic, which starts at 2pm. In clinic you will be reviewed by the Renal Transplant Coordinator. A transplant doctor will be available at the end of the clinic, if there are any issues which should not wait until you see a doctor the following Thursday.
• You should be given your next clinic appointment date before you leave.

Instructions for Thursday follow-up clinics

• Bring a 24 hour urine collection and urine specimen in a white topped bottle, arriving according to your appointment time.
• Clinic starts at 9am.
• Clinic staff will direct you to blood test, which may be before or after your appointment.
• Take your morning dose of cyclosporin after the blood test!
• You will see a transplant doctor in this clinic, but blood results from the same day will not be available.
• You should be given your next clinic appointment date before you leave.
• You will be contacted the following day if there are any new instructions, after your blood results have been reviewed.

Clinic transport arrangements

You should arrange your own transport to and from clinic if possible. Strict rules apply to determine whether hospital transport to and from clinic can be provided by the health authority.

Driving after renal transplant

You should ask permission from the doctors before driving yourself, and you must inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and your insurance company that you have had a renal transplant. DVLA rules state that "subject to satisfactory medical enquiries driving may resume one month after successful renal transplant". Different rules apply to drivers of minibuses, goods vehicles and buses.

To contact DVLA, write to : Drivers Medical Unit, DVLA, Swansea. SA991TU

Include your driver number, or your full name and date of birth and tell DVLA about your medical condition in as much detail as possible.