Defence Forces say no time lost in transfer of organs

OPERATING PROCEDURES governing the use of sports grounds in Dublin’s Phoenix Park have been reviewed by the Defence Forces after a locked gate prevented an ambulance entering the grounds to pick up donated organs.

An air ambulance AW 139 helicopter landed in the Army sports ground, Phoenix Park, at 3am on Tuesday, May 22nd, with organs to be delivered to the Mater hospital in Dublin.

However, an ambulance that was due to collect the organs from the helicopter could not enter the grounds because the access gate was locked.

Instead, the specialist HSE transplant team who were on the helicopter walked 300 yards to a low fence surrounding the sports ground, crossed the fence and brought the organs to the ambulance.

The route from the landing site to the awaiting ambulance was lit by lights from the helicopter.

The locked gate did not slow down the transport of the organs, the Defence Forces stressed, and no time was lost in the mission.

In a statement yesterday, the Defence Forces, which has an agreement with the Department of Health covering inter-hospital patient transfers and organ retrieval, said there were standard operating procedures in place to provide access to the Army sports grounds in the Phoenix Park for air operations.

“These standard operating procedures have been reviewed in order to ensure there is no repeat of this situation, although there was no delay or disruption caused to this air ambulance mission,” the statement said.

The decision to land in the park instead of at Baldonnel Aerodrome meant the helicopter was within three kilometres of the hospital and 21 minutes travel time was saved, the statement added.

The HSE said yesterday it had no issue with how the matter was handled. “The Defence Forces provide a good service and it works well,” a spokeswoman said.

David Hall, who runs Lifeline Ambulance Service, said the incident should not have happened and has called on the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) to investigate.

Hiqa said recommendations it made after Leitrim teenager Meadhbh McGivern missed out on a transplant in July 2011 because of a mix-up on air ambulance provision applied to the transport of people rather than organs.

However it said new national standards for safer, better healthcare, due to be published at the end of the month, would cover all ambulance operations, including the transport of organs.