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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Heart unit suspends transplants | Heart unit suspends transplants |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Heart transplants in Scotland have been suspended "for several weeks" after an increase in patient deaths. | Heart transplants in Scotland have been suspended "for several weeks" after an increase in patient deaths. |
| Operations at the Scottish National Heart Transplant Unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary have been stopped while independent experts carry out a review. | Operations at the Scottish National Heart Transplant Unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary have been stopped while independent experts carry out a review. |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said four of the 11 patients who had transplants this year died within 30 days. | NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said four of the 11 patients who had transplants this year died within 30 days. |
| While the review is taking place Scottish patients will be switched to a waiting list in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. | While the review is taking place Scottish patients will be switched to a waiting list in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. |
| A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "This means that those who are on the Scottish waiting list will not be denied the chance of a new heart while transplant operations are suspended in Glasgow. | A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "This means that those who are on the Scottish waiting list will not be denied the chance of a new heart while transplant operations are suspended in Glasgow. |
| "We have already contacted the patients on the waiting list to let them know of this temporary arrangement." | "We have already contacted the patients on the waiting list to let them know of this temporary arrangement." |
| 'Centre of excellence' | |
| The UK average death rate of transplant patients within 30 days is about 13%. In Scotland, it currently stands at 36%. | The UK average death rate of transplant patients within 30 days is about 13%. In Scotland, it currently stands at 36%. |
| Organ retrieval, pre-operative assessment and post-op care will continue to be provided by the Scottish team. | |
| The local health board said such reviews were not unusual and one had recently taken place at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire. | |
| The unit which serves Scotland is based in Glasgow Royal Infirmary | |
| Scotland's only heart transplant unit opened in 1992 but was forced to close temporarily in 2000 because of a shortage of surgeons. | |
| Surgery resumed in 2001 but two years later a review of its long term viability was ordered for a unit caring out only a handful of transplant operations a year, each costing the NHS more than £300,000. | |
| The then Scottish health minister Malcolm Chisholm said the review came to the clear conclusion that the unit should remain. | |
| "This is an existing centre of excellence and I'm sure Scottish patients would prefer to be treated here," he said. | |
| Clinical and technical experts are expected to begin their review in early January. | Clinical and technical experts are expected to begin their review in early January. |
| It is expected to take with several weeks. | It is expected to take with several weeks. |