Leah's liver sent abroad in bed crisis

GLENDA COOPER

A leading transplant surgeon yesterday criticised the lack of intensive care beds in British hospitals after the shortage contributed to the liver of the ecstasy casualty Leah Betts being sent to Spain.

Professor Sir Roy Calne, consultant surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, said what had happened was a "disaster" for British transplant patients and highlighted the "very serious problems" hospitals faced because of a shortage of beds in intensive care units.

Leah, 18, of Latchingdon, Essex, died after taking an ecstasy tablet at a party in November last year. Her parents allowed her heart, liver, lungs, corneas and kidneys to be donated.

But when her liver was offered to all seven of Britain's hospital liver transplant centres - the Royal Free and King's College, both London, St James's, Leeds, Newcastle Freeman, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Queen Elizabeth, Birmingham, and Addenbrooke's - none of them was able to accept it.

Addenbrooke's was unable to accept it because it had no intensive care beds for patients after surgery and three hospitals, St James's, King's College and the Newcastle Freeman, had no suitable recipients for the liver. The remaining three would not comment but it is thought one was unable to accept the liver because of a bed shortage.

Sir Roy, who carried out Britain's first liver transplant nearly 30 years ago, said: "Fortunately in this case the liver was used by someone in Spain . . . But it's a shame that it couldn't have been used by a British patient. I have now had to turn down 29 livers in just over a year because of a shortage of ICU beds. In that time we have had 11 patients die."

Dr Peter Wallace, president of the Intensive Care Society, which represents doctors working in intensive care units, said it was an increasing problem.

He said the problem "had been clearly recognised" by surgeons and doctors across the United Kingdom for some time and a shortage of nurses trained to work in intensive care units had made matters worse.

"I think intensive care has tended to get lost because it's only a small part of a hospital," added Dr Wallace, who is based in Dundee. He estimated 1,500 intensive care beds were available in Britain and said thatshould be increased to 2,200.