About Us

The OTA

 The Organ and Tissue Authority (OTA) works with states and territories, clinicians and the community sector to deliver the Australian Government’s national program to improve organ and tissue donation and transplantation outcomes in Australia.

The OTA manages the implementation of the national program through leadership of, and collaboration with, State and Territory Medical Directors, DonateLife Agencies (one in each state and territory) and hospital medical and nurse specialists in organ and tissue donation. These people and organisations comprise the DonateLife Network.

The OTA was established in 2009 and operates under the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Act 2008, (the Act). The OTA is an independent statutory agency within the Australian Government Health portfolio.

Read about the work of the Organ and Tissue Authority

The National Program

Australia’s national program aims to implement a world's best practice approach to organ and tissue donation for transplantation.

The twin objectives of the program are to:

• Increase the capability and capacity within the health system to maximise donation rates; and
• Raise community awareness and stakeholder engagement across Australia to promote organ and tissue donation.

Learn more about Australia’s national program

The DonateLife Network

The OTA manages the implementation of the national program through leadership of, and collaboration with, State and Territory Medical Directors, DonateLife Agencies (one in each state and territory) and hospital medical and nurse specialists in organ and tissue donation. These people and organisations comprise the DonateLife Network.

State and territory governments, through funding agreements with the OTA, employ the DonateLife Network staff in accordance with an organ and tissue donation service model consistent with the model and approach of the national program, in the public hospital sector and, where mutually agreed, in the private hospital sector.

As at 30 June 2017, 15 248 DonateLife staff were employed in 147.98 full-time equivalents of Australian Government-funded positions in 88 hospitals and eight DonateLife Agencies across Australia.

Find out more about your local DonateLife agency

Our Partners

The OTA works in partnership with many stakeholders to optimise organ and tissue donation for transplantation. Our partners include state and territory governments, the broad donation and transplantation clinical sectors, eye and tissue banks, community organisations and the corporate and business sector. Each plays an important role in contributing to Australia’s national program.

Learn more about our partners