Kidney transplants cancellation 'devastates' charities

Charities in Northern Ireland have said they are "devastated" after several life-saving kidney transplants within the Belfast Health Trust area could not go ahead at the weekend.

The trust was offered healthy kidneys from deceased donors.

But they were turned down as the operations could not be carried out without sufficient staff.

The trust has apologised and blamed the staff shortage on a rise in the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals.

Patty Gilbert, co-chair of the Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association, said she found the situation "dismaying".

"It goes without saying that there is devastation all round that unfortunately we are having to face this again as a renal community," she said.

"The Belfast Trust was under dreadful pressure last year and we know that surgeries had to be paused then.

"We are hoping that will not be a situation that has to be reconsidered.

"The pressure that our health service is under where staff are having to transfer out of renal services into ICU (intensive care units) to look after other very sick patients is a situation that I find dismaying."

• Kidney transplants cancelled amid staff shortage

• Belfast Trust to cancel some cancer surgeries

• Kidneys being turned down for transplant surgeries

The cancellation of the transplants comes after some health trusts postponed cancer surgeries at the end of July.

On Monday the Royal College of Surgeons said those cancellations could have been avoided.

It told BBC News NI that proposals it had made to stop surgeries being cancelled amid an increase in the number of Covid-19 patients had not been implemented.

Last year a record number of kidney transplants were carried out in Northern Ireland in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

But in November the transplant system was suspended because of the Covid-19-related pressure on the health service.

Susan Kee, the chair of the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund, said she was "completely devastated" that some kidney transplants could not go ahead within the Belfast Health Trust area at the weekend.

"Currently there are over 700 people with chronic kidney disease in Northern Ireland on dialysis," she added.

"It's like a death in the family, if you can't get that kidney that's for you.

"Not everyone is suitable for transplant, but for those that are, it is life-changing.

"You may wait years for that call and when it comes it is creating a new life."

News of cancelled surgeries is 'dreadful' - Denis McNeill

Denis McNeill (left), who is on the transplant waiting list, said he sympathises with anyone affected by cancelled surgeries

Denis McNeill, who is 67 and lives near Coleraine, has been on the waiting list for a kidney transplant since developing problems last year.

He was not one of those due to have a transplant in Belfast at the weekend, but said he sympathises with all of those people affected.

Mr McNeill told BBC Radio Foyle that the news of any cancelled surgeries is "dreadful" and that, for many like him, being on dialysis affects your entire day-to-day life.

"I do try and tell people it (dialysis) doesn't take over my life, but in truth it does," he said.

"I have to have dialysis first thing in the morning, again in the afternoon and again at night.

"I am waiting now, fingers crossed, hoping now that a kidney becomes available some time very, very soon."

The Belfast Health Trust said it had come under "significant pressure" as more people with Covid-19 have been admitted to intensive care units.

It said it therefore had to make the "difficult decision" to cancel some kidney transplants.

That, it said, allowed staff who work in operating theatres to "assist in intensive care units at this challenging time".

The trust said the decision was a last resort and not taken lightly.

"We apologise to all patients and we are doing all we can to ensure we can reschedule surgeries as soon as possible."

In January, BBC News NI reported that organs were regularly turned down instead of being used for transplants because no operating facilities were available.

The issue was raised in the House of Commons by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Ian Paisley, who warned against a "scandal of discarding viable transplant organs from developing".