Kidney transplants suspended at Birmingham Hospitals due to 'critical' Covid situation
Kidney transplants and patient waiting lists are being suspended at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust for 14 days.
The Renal Transplantation Team say they’re temporarily suspending the transplants for a fortnight because of the “critical situation” with coronavirus in the area.
The Trust say they’ll keep the situation under “regular review," and will be contacting patients directly to keep them informed of any changes.
Shona McFayden, from Corby, has been on the QE's transplant waiting list for 22 months.
She says she's "heartbroken" that surgeries have been paused and she's worried that if she doesn't get a transplant soon she could loose her life.
The Trust say they're continuing to expand intensive care and acute medical care capacity but say they need to further reduce outpatient activity while they care for their sickest patients.
The Trust is one of the largest teaching hospital Trusts in England, which include Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Solihull Hospital and Community Services and the Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.
Today's developments come after all planned procedures at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham were postponed late last year because of a “significant increase” in the number of patients.
In November, the Hospital said a rise in in the number of "very sick" patients, both Covid and non-Covid related, meant procedures had to be suspended.
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