Background In the UK over two million people are living with sight loss, with this figure predicted to rise to approx. four million by 2050. Patients who die in palliative and hospice care settings could potentially donate eye tissue. Patients and health care professionals are largely unaware that patients can donate their eyes for transplantation to help others.

Aims NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have piloted a new initiative implementing the STEPS toolkit recommended in ‘Eye Donation from Palliative and Hospice care contexts: investigating Potential, Practice, Preference and Perceptions’ (EDiPPPP) study (Long-Sutehall, Bracher, Mollart, et al. Health Soc Care Deliv Res. 2023;11(20) across five hospice sites.

Method Educational resources were developed by the team, alongside a new website where the resources could be accessed and additional key information to support clinicians in their practice were located. The COM-B model of behaviour change underpinned the implementation of this service improvement initiative. Data collection included a rolling audit of changes to clinical pathways for identification of potential eye donors, discussion with patients and referral of potential donors to NHSBT; health care professionals (HCPs) knowledge gaps (via a flash quiz), staff generated feedback, points for troubleshooting (fieldnotes).

Results A tool, the Eye Donation Eligibility Assessment Checklist (EDEAC) developed in the research, has proved successful, being embedded into usual practice across all sites. HCPs indicate that the tool supports their confidence and competence in this area. The confidence of HCPs significantly improved after engaging with the educational resources (22% confident or very confident prior to accessing education, 44% confident or very confident after). HCPs answered more questions correctly post engagement with educational resources.

Conclusion Including discussion about the option of eye donation with patients with a terminal diagnosis ensures that patients’ wishes are known and can be followed, potentially increasing the number of sight-saving and sight-restoring transplant operations that can be undertaken.