§ Mr. Beaumont-Darkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for each of the last 10 years, how many organ transplants have been carried out; if he will indicate in each case the organ or organs involved; what information he has as to how many of the recipients of these transplated organs are still alive; and what is his estimate of the cost to the National Health Service of each type of organ transplant.
§ Mrs. CurrieAccording to information provided by the United Kingdom transplant service, the number of cadaveric kidneys, heart, heart/lung and liver transplant operations performed in the United Kingdom during 1986 were at record levels. Figures for the last 10 years 1977–86 were as follows:
Cadaveric Kidney Heart Heart/Lung Lung Liver 1977 779 — — — — 1978 941 — — — — 1979 842 3 — — 6 1980 988 25 — — 5 1981 905 24 — — 11 1982 1,070 36 — — 21 1983 1,144 53 1 — 20 1984 1,443 116 10 — 51 1985 1,334 137 37 — 88 1986 1 1,488 175 51 3 127 1 As notified to date. Late notifications may necessitate minor revisions. The total number of corneal grafts performed is not recorded centrally, although it has been estimated that presently about 1,200 operations are carried out each year.
Statistics on patient survival are as follows:
Organ transplants performed Number of recipients surviving on 31 December 1986 Hearts 569 375 Hearts/lungs 99 60 Lungs 3 3 Comparable figures are not available for kidney and liver transplantation. However, we are informed by the European Dialysis and Transplant Association that, from the 13,575 kidney transplants performed since the 1950s and up to 31 December 1985, 5,773 were still alive with a 129W functioning graft on that date. Others were still alive but undergoing different treatment by the numbers are not known precisely.
It should be noted that there is no correlation between graft survival and patient survival with respect to kidney transplantation.
For information on the cost of kidney transplants I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 17 December at column 571.
Comprehensive figures are not available on the costs of heart transplants, but our best estimate puts the cost at about £15,000 in the year of operation, and around £3,000 per annum in subsequent years. Details of costs at two centres can be found in research report No. 12 published by the Department in 1985 under the title "Costs and Benefits of the Heart Transplant Programme at Harefield and Papworth Hospitals". A copy of this report is in the Library. No reliable costings are available for heart/lung, lung, and liver transplants.