Pancreas transplant programme to re-start in September

The pancreas transplant programme will recommence in St Vincent's University Hospital in September subject to a suitable donor recipient match being available, the Department of Health has said.

A spokesman for the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said that a constructive meeting took place between him, the HSE and Department of Health officials as well as representatives from St Vincent's and Beaumont hospitals on the issue.

Former director of the National Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Programme, Dr David Hickey, retired at the end of last year and there have been no pancreas transplants this year.

The waiting list for pancreas transplants has been suspended and no new patients are being added to the list.

Patients waiting for a pancreatic transplant earlier this week delivered a petition signed by 15,000 people to Beaumont Hospital calling on it not to abandon them.

A spokesman for the Minister also said that separately the kidney transplant programme in Beaumont was operating well with 88 kidney transplants carried out so far this year.