Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s (WWL) Bone and Tissue Bank is celebrating an extraordinary triple milestone - a successful Human Tissue Authority (HTA) inspection, 10 years of independent service, and the retirement of its long‑standing Clinical Lead and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Bodo Purbach.
Based at Wrightington Hospital, the Bone and Tissue Bank is a donation and transplant service and has grown remarkably since becoming independent in 2015. When patients are listed for a total hip replacement they are asked if they would like to donate their bone, or femoral head, that is removed during the operation which would normally be disposed of in theatre. This bone can be retrieved and kept with the intention to help another patient in critical orthopaedic procedures like reconstructive surgery or trauma repair. Over the past decade, the team has harvested more than 4,000 donated femoral heads, implanted over 2,000, and supplied more than 1,200 grafts to over 100 hospitals across the UK - transforming thousands of patients' lives.
Deputy Manager Harry Glassbrook-Byrne said: “Our donors are incredible. Many of them say how delighted they are to learn they can help someone else facing pain or limited mobility ahead of their surgery. Their generosity certainly changes so many lives.”
The donation and transplant service is licensed by the Human Tissue Authority and every two years an onsite inspection takes place to ensure the unit is compliant with HTA standards for safe practice. This includes maintaining high standards and offering quality assurance to surgeons who use the stored donated frozen bone, and most importantly, making sure that the patients are receiving the best and safest treatments.
This year also marks the retirement of Mr Bodo Purbach, who joined Wrightington in 1997 as Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and has led the Bone and Tissue Bank since 2009. His expertise in bone grafting and his dedication to service expansion, teaching, and quality assurance have shaped the programme into a national success.
Service Manager Lisa Smith added: “Working with Mr Purbach for the last nine years has been a privilege. Our achievements are the result of a truly collaborative team - from pre‑op nurses to theatre and ward staff – each one committed to supporting bone donation.”
Speaking at the special event, Mr Purbach handed over the reins to new Designated Individual (DI) on HTA Licence and Clinical Lead, Mr Henry Wynn-Jones, adding: “This service is not like any other and I am leaving the team in very capable hands. I am so proud of all the work that has happened during my time at Wrightington, and I wish them so much ongoing success. We are such a small team, but we have done wonderful things for those in our care.”
Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Sanjay Arya, who has supported the service since its inception, said: “The bone bank is a wonderful service, and the team really are truly special. We are very honoured to have this dedicated team working as hard as they do for our patients. Congratulations to you all for ten years of success, and I wish Mr Purbach well in his retirement; he has done incredible work during his time at Wrightington.”
Patients can learn more about bone donation through the myrecovery app, where the team can follow up with those expressing interest and ensure informed consent.