Minister and health agencies welcome transplant-transport report

Minister for Health James Reilly, the Health Service Executive and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin have welcomed a HIQA report into the failutres which prevented a teenage transplant patient from travelling for surgery.

Fourteen-year-old Meadhbh McGivern from Ballinamore in Co Leitrim has been waiting for a transplant for one year, making her the longest person ever to be on the paediatric liver transplant waiting list.

Six weeks ago she got a call from a hospital in London to say a donor was available, but because of a delay in getting transport in place she missed her chance.

The HSE and the hospital said in a statement today that they sincerely sympathised with the McGivern family and they were mindful of the distress caused to them.

They added that they fully supported the recommendations made in the HIQA review, and that they would work to implement the proposals.

HIQA has recommended the establishment of a National Aeromedical Coordination Centre, within the HSE National Ambulance Service, to coordinate all of the transport of patients by air and to be the single point of accountability for the process.

The HSE National Ambulance Service,said it was working with all agencies to revise the existing protocol for patient transfers, ensuring that arrangements are strengthened in the interim.