NHS threat to pioneering £75,000 heart transplant method which has saved more than 60 lives
- ‘Heart-in-a-box’ operation costs more than the £50,000 for standard transplant
- Papworth Hospital in Cambridge took £1.5m from charity fund for treatments
- Donor heart is placed into sterile container and restarted with electric shock
A pioneering heart transplant method which has saved dozens of lives is under threat because the NHS won’t foot the bill.
Surgeons say the procedure, which keeps donor hearts beating until they can be transplanted, will reduce patient waiting lists.
However, each ‘heart-in-a-box’ operation costs £75,000 rather than the £50,000 for a standard transplant because of the cost of maintaining each box and the expensive single-use parts involved.
NHS England’s decision not to provide the extra cash has forced Papworth Hospital in Cambridge to take £1.5 million from its charity fund so it can keep providing the treatment.
A pioneering heart transplant method which has saved dozens of lives is under threat because the NHS won’t foot the bill (file photo)
Since 2015, more than 60 heart-in-a-box operations have been carried out, mainly at Papworth. The technique was used for the UK’s first successful heart transplant in 1979 and has been reintroduced because of scientific advances.
The donor heart is placed into the sterile container, connected to a blood supply and restarted with an electric shock. It arrives at the transplant venue beating and ready for surgery.
The technique could allow an extra 100 operations to be carried out nationwide each year.
Papworth surgeon Stephen Large said more hearts needed to be found to meet a growing demand, which was why the NHS was being pressed to cover the costs. The Department of Health said: ‘We are always open to adopting new technologies if they are cost-effective.’
NHS England’s decision not to provide the extra cash has forced Papworth Hospital (pictured) in Cambridge to take £1.5 million from its charity fund so it can keep providing the treatment