Leaked Letter Blames NHS England for 30-Year Transplant Stagnation as Operations Are Cancelled Last-Minute
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 13
Leaked Letter Blames NHS England for 30-Year Transplant Stagnation as Operations Are Cancelled Last-Minute
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 13
Summary
Professor Derek Manas, medical director of NHS Blood and Transplant, said in a leaked letter that NHS England created a fragmented transplant system with poor accountability, last-minute cancellations and burnt-out staff.
30 years without growth in annual heart and lung transplants reflects a mismatch between waiting lists, organ availability, theatre capacity and staffing, which Manas said also causes unpredictable use of donated organs.
One in 10 donated lungs and one in seven hearts are transplanted in the NHS—about half the rate in some countries—while heart waiting times range from eight months to 4.5 years depending on hospital.
Half of the UK's six heart and lung transplant centres have lost their top surgeon in the past two years, and former minister Zubir Ahmed said NHS Blood and Transplant should gain commissioning powers to move patients faster.
NHS England said transplant services are complex but a current improvement programme is already raising transplant numbers, reducing variation and improving access after concerns first flagged in a 2024 expert review.