science
No Beds Available at Hospitals Offering Berlin Heart for Three-Month-Old
The parents of a three-month-old boy in Wales say no beds are available at the two UK hospitals able to fit a Berlin heart device. Macs Green requires the device while awaiting a transplant after his condition deteriorated in Bristol. The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee said capacity is managed UK-wide.
Jul 21, 3:00 PM·1m read1 source
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The parents of a three-month-old boy named Macs say they are frustrated that no beds are available at hospitals able to fit a Berlin heart device needed to stabilize his condition. The Bbc reported that Dylan and Catrin Green from Cardiff took their son to hospital six weeks ago after he struggled to feed. He later suffered two cardiac arrests and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy.
Two weeks ago Macs was transferred to a specialist unit in Bristol. His condition has since deteriorated and he is now in an induced coma with a machine performing heart function. The family said he needed to be moved to one of two specialist hospitals that can offer the Berlin heart, Great Ormond Street Hospital in London or the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle, but no beds were available.
Fewer than five patients in Wales and England are currently using a Berlin heart, according to NHS Blood and Transplant. The Bbc reported that 2% of deceased organ donors in the UK are under 18. The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee stated that funding is available for patients requiring highly specialised services but capacity is managed on a UK-wide basis and access to treatment is determined through clinical assessment.
