Oak House
Reeds Crescent
Watford
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
WD24 4QN
Tel: 01923 366 7650
www.nhsbt.nhs.uk
Our ref: MOC/ 281644
Dear Mrs McDonnell
Re: Information request
Thank you for your request dated 4th March 2015, for information from NHS Blood
and Transplant (NHSBT) regarding statistics on patients who are citizens of the
Republic of Ireland (ROI) who travelled to England to receive transplants from 2010-
2015.
I am writing to advise you that we are able to provide you with the following
information in response to your request.
The number of ROI patients who travelled to England to receive transplants
under the NHS (from 2010-2015).
The hospitals (or the location of hospitals if hospital name cannot be
disclosed) that they were treated in and the number of ROI transplant patients
per hospital/location (from 2010-2015).
Reasons given for transplant e.g. cystic fibrosis.
A breakdown of the age of the ROI patients who travelled for transplants
between 2010 and 2015.
.
Every effort is made to ensure that a donated organ does not go to waste if there is
someone who can benefit. Donated organs/tissue are made available to any hospital
in the UK where there is a patient in need. NHSBT staff identify whether there are
any urgent cases, with blood group or age compatibility, in any of the transplant
centres. Sometimes there are no suitable patients anywhere in the UK but a
reciprocal arrangement with the European Union enables donor organs to be offered
to other EU countries. This co-operation increases the chance of a suitable recipient
being found, ensuring that precious organs or tissue do not go to waste
The UK has special arrangements with the Republic of Ireland so that some patients
from Ireland will come to the UK for the transplant procedure where units in the UK
have particular expertise. The sharing of organs represents a very small proportion of
the UK transplant activity and is set up to ensure that all donated organs are used
whenever appropriate.
a) Table- Number of ROI patients who travelled to a transplant unit in England to
receive a transplant January 2010- February 2015
Transplant Unit
Number of patients
Gt Ormond St
10
Royal London
1
Newcastle Freeman
25
Manchester Wythenshawe
1
London Kings College
33
Birmingham QE
4
Total
74
Source: NHS Blood and Transplant
b) Table- Age of ROI patients who travelled to England to receive transplant January
2010- February 2015
Number
of
Recipient age
patients
Paediatric*
36
Adult**
38
Total
74
Source: NHS Blood and Transplant
Note:* patient under 18
** patient over 18
c) Table- Recorded reason given for transplant transplant January 2010- - February
2015
Number
of
Primary disease
patients
Primary oxalosis
2
Bilateral small kidneys
1
Congenital heart disease
3
Dilated cardiomyopathy
8
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
1
Retrictive cardiomyopathy
1
Cystic fibrosis
21
Fibrosing lung disease
1
Emphysema
1
Cryptogenic cirrhosis
1
Biliary atresia
13
Acute hepatic failure
7
Hepatocellular carcinoma - cirrhotic
2
Hepatoblastoma
1
Other primary malignancy
2
Other metabolic liver disease
2
Graft v host disease
1
Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis
1
Chronic rejection
1
Allagilles syndrome
1
Early graft dysfuction
1
Hepatic artery thrombosis
1
Other
1
Total
74
Source: NHS Blood and Transplant
The information requested is provided in the attached spreadsheet.
The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any
non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any
other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the
copyright holder. Some documents supplied by NHS Blood and Transplant will be
Crown Copyright. You can find details on the arrangements for re-using Crown
Copyright on HMS Online at:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/re-using-public-sector-
information/copyright/crown-copyright/
Information you receive which is not subject to Crown Copyright continues to be
protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information
originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any
third party (non Crown Copyright) information.
I hope this is helpful in addressing your questions. Please quote the reference
number above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely
Catherine Allen
External Affairs Manager
E-mail: xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or
request an review of our decision, you should write to: Customer Services Operations Manager, NHS Blood and
Transplant, Oak House, Reeds Crescent, Watford, WD24 4QN (Email: xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx).
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information
Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the
complaints procedure provided by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF.
