To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people are on the waiting list for heart transplant surgery; (168321)

[holding answer 26 November 2007]: On 22 November 2007, 78 people were registered on the heart transplant list.

The number of heart transplants carried out is shown in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of hearts removed from donors (a) were transplanted into recipients, (b) reached their destination hospital within the safe limit of ischaemic time and (c) were not transplanted into recipients, in the latest period for which figures are available; (168323)

[holding answer 26 November 2007]: The three most common reasons for not retrieving the heart were poor function (40 per cent.), donor unsuitable—past history (17 per cent.) and no suitable recipients (12 per cent.). Overall 734 of the 1,044 hearts (70 per cent.) not retrieved were not retrieved due to medical issues with the organ or donor (50 per cent. of all hearts offered). This is shown in the following table.

The reasons given for not transplanting 14 hearts, which were retrieved, were: donor unsuitable—past history (four), poor function (three), transport difficulties (two), unknown (two), organ damaged (one), donor unsuitable—age (one) and donor unsuitable—size (one).

There is no official ‘safe’ length of ischaemia time for donor hearts, but it is generally accepted that ischaemia times should be kept under four hours wherever possible. For adult deceased heartbeating donor hearts offered for transplant, 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2007, 70 per cent. of ischaemia times were four hours or less, 86 per cent. were 4.5 hours or less, 96 per cent, were five hours or less.

Note:

Ischaemia times relates to the time the heart is reperfused in the recipient, not to the time the heart arrives at the destination hospital.