Mum's marathon hospital heart wait 260 miles from home

Ms Allen has been living in Newcastle's Freeman Hospital since October

A woman with a life-threatening heart condition has spent seven months in a hospital more than 260 miles away from home as she waits for a transplant.

Nicola Allen, 51, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was born with two holes in her heart but it was only after she gave birth in 2010 that she was diagnosed with ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

She was admitted to Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, the UK's leading centre for complex congenital heart conditions, when her condition deteriorated in October.

"I have already started to look forward to the clanking of the tea trolley on the ward," she said.

Ms Allen, a family support worker, said the hardest thing about her hospital stay was being so far away from loved ones.

"Living away from home has its own kind of pain, being away from my family and friends - especially my daughter," she said.

"I feel like I am missing a piece of myself every day. I think of her all the time."

Nicola Allen was diagnosed with ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy after having her daughter in 2010

The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) service said 13 people had died waiting for a heart transplant in 2023-24 and there were currently 306 people waiting for a heart-only transplant.

The average waiting time for a heart transplant for those on the non-urgent list is about six years, according to NHSBT.

However, this falls to 47 days for those on the urgent list and just 11 days for those on the super-urgent list.

"There are not enough donated organs which sadly means some people wait years for a transplant or never receive one at all," an NHS spokesperson said.

"Waiting lists are at their highest level in a decade.

"We urge everyone to confirm their decision to be an organ donor on the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell their family they want to save lives."

'Days blur together'

Ms Allen said she realised quickly after admission she would need to establish a routine for the sake of her mental wellbeing.

The routine includes getting dressed every day, going for a walk for fresh air in the hospital courtyard and writing a daily blog.

"This has helped me to motivate myself and have a sense of worth," she said.

She added that going for medical procedures had become "like a day out".

Despite being given her own room with an en-suite and a window, Ms Allen said she often felt claustrophobic.

"The days blur together," she said.

"Sometimes I think about escaping - not far, just far enough to feel like I am somewhere else.

"But for now, I stay where I am, I wait and I hope."