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Donor Referral and Notification -
How to reach us

If you are a designated hospital calling TGLN with a patient who meets Donor Referral Indicators,
or have a patient who you believe is a potential donor call:

Toll free (1-877-363-8456)
GTA (416-363-4438)

Resources for Health Care
Professionals

 
Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of Life Network) has created and collected resources to support transplant and donation health care professionals.

Transplant Resources
Donation Resources

For research related requests

For all other data requests

Icon Megaphone

Routine Notification for
Donation Eligibility

Hospitals that are designated facilities under the Gift of Life Act must meet the referral provisions detailed under Part II.1 - Notice and Consent. These hospitals have, or will have ‘Routine Notification’ mandated throughout their centre. This means hospitals are responsible for calling and notifying TGLN when a patient has died, or prior to death according to their established referral indicators.

Notifying TGLN ensures donation eligibility can be established. Donation consent decisions can be accessed in the Ontario Health Insurance Plan database before families of eligible patients are approached by TGLN about donation opportunities. Since 2005, this practice has helped maximize organ and tissue donation for transplantation in Ontario.

Learn more about routine notification for donation eligibility.

GO TO FAQS

Designated Facilities

Ontario Regulation 179/05 has identified six classes of facilities for the purposes of the Gift of Life Act. They are:

  • Class A

    Hospital - Trauma and/or neuro-surgical services

    Any hospital that provides neuro-surgical or trauma services.

  • Class B

    Hospital

    Any hospital that does not meet the requirements set out in Section 1 and that is able to make a neurologically determined death (NDD) in accordance with the medically accepted standards for NDD in Ontario.

  • Class C

    Hospital

    Any hospital that does not meet the requirements set in Sections 1 or 2.

  • Class D

    Tissue/Bone bank

    Any hospital, health facility or university that participates in the collection, screening, processing, storage or distribution of tissue for transplantation.

  • Class E

    Transplant Service

    Any hospital that transplants organs for the direct clinical benefit of patients.

  • Class F

    Laboratory Service

    Laboratories (Laboratory Licensing Act) performing screening tests for infectious diseases and/or histocompatibility testing.

Determination of Death

Organ and tissue donation is possible following the pronouncement of death using neurologically determined death (NDD) criteria or in planned situations of withdrawal of life sustaining therapy followed by pronouncement of death by circulatory determination (DCD).

Neurologically Determined Death

Neurologically determined death is defined as the “irreversible loss of the capacity for consciousness combined with the irreversible loss of all brainstem functions, including the capacity to breathe” (Canadian Neurocritical Care Group 1999). Previously, the terms “brain death”, “neurological death” and “death by neurological criteria” were used interchangeably.

Neurological Determination of Death New PDFEnglish
Neurological Determination of Death New PDFFrench

Donation After Death by Circulatory Determination

In Ontario, organ and tissue donation after death by circulatory death (DCD) is now a possibility for patients who do not meet the strict criteria for neurologically determined death or brain death. Patients who meet the criteria for DCD are critically ill and dependent on mechanical ventilation. DCD is a possibility for families who have decided to withdraw life sustaining therapy after a physician has determined that there is no long-term prognosis for recovery.

Donation After Death by Circulatory Determination PDFEnglish
Donation After Death by Circulatory Determination PDFFrench
Neurological Death Book

Continuing Education

Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of Life Network) is committed to supporting the learning opportunities for healthcare professionals across Ontario. By using these education materials, you can enhance your knowledge of the merits of donation which ultimately leads to saving and enriching lives.

eLearning

This eLearning module has been created for independent self study. At the end of the module you are invited to take a quiz which offers a printed certificate for a mark of 90% or more. Note: You must view this e-module in its entirety to receive the certificate.

Click on one of the following choices to enter the module:




Allied Health Professional Roles in Organ and Tissue Donation

Medical Laboratory Professionals

Diagnostic Imaging Professionals

Learning Modules

I care for patients and families in a critical care unit/emergency department setting

I care for patients and families in a ward setting

*** Please note that the TGLN eLearning platform has been optimized to run on Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 9 (or later). TGLN has endeavored to ensure maximum compatibility on other browsers, and appreciates your understanding should the functions of the module not be fully compatible with systems outside the recommended browsers. Please note that the TGLN eLearning module may not be fully compatible behind certain firewalls.

Learning Scenarios

The purpose of these education modules are to provide clinicians with the opportunity to consider the implications of caring for potential organ donors while working through virtual patient scenarios.

The following links contain learning scenarios on Neurological Determination of Death and Donor Managment.

Manuals

For any inquiries on the donation process or patient management, please contact us.

Organ and Tissue Donation Following Medical Assistance in Dying: Program Development Toolkit
The Organ and Tissue Donation Following Medical Assistance in Dying: Program Development Toolkit was developed by TGLN as a tool to support healthcare professionals in hospitals across Ontario. Download pdf to print.

EnglishOrgan and Tissue Donation Following Medical Assistance in Dying English
FrenchOrgan and Tissue Donation Following Medical Assistance in Dying French

Stats

GO TO Public reporting

Critical Care Canada Forum (CCCF) - Deceased Donation Symposium Videos

CCCF 2022: Deceased Donation Stream - The Paradigm Shift to Brain-Based Definition and Determination of Death
Speaker: Sam Shemie
Moderator: Bram Rochwerg

CCCF 2022: Deceased Donation Stream - Death by Neurologic Criteria
Moderators: Sonny Dhanani, Laurie Lee

CCCF 2022: Deceased Donation Stream - DNC Continued and Death by Circulatory Criteria
Moderators: Teneille Gofton, George Isac, Sonny Dhanani

See All Videos

Videos

See All Videos

 

Brochures and FAQs

Routine Notification

Understanding your Role as Substitute Decision Maker in Organ & Tissue Donation

The Gift of Tissue Donation: Saving and Transforming Lives

FAQs for healthcare professionals

Canadian Council for Donation and Transplant Reports*

Medical Management to Optimize Donor Organ Potential: A Canadian Forum

Severe Brain Injury to Neurological Determination of Death: A Canadian Forum

National recommendations for donation after cardiocirculatory death in Canada

*Now part of Canadian Blood Services (CBS)

Wait List, Organ Offers and Allocation Policies

This document provides the provincial policies relating to wait listing, wait times, organ offers and allocation to the deceased donor waiting list. These policies apply to all transplant candidates and recipients of organs from deceased donors.
This document is updated regularly to reflect new or amended policies.

Wait List, Organ Offers and Allocation Policies

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