Dr. Ruairí Dwyer:

We hear anecdotes about families requesting that an organ donation not be made. We see that as a major failure on our part and it is something we go to great lengths to avoid. If it is any comfort, it seems to happen rarely. There was a formal audit of potential donors in 2008 which found that less than 5% of families asked that organs not be donated. Part of our routine with all patients is to ensure the family has been offered the opportunity to allow for organ donation. We are well aware of the long-term benefits to the patient who receives the organ donation. The organ donor co-ordinators support the whole process. Our job in intensive care is primarily looking after the living. We also see organ donation as an integral part of our job, but with the EU directive there is an incredible amount of paperwork in place or coming down the line in this area. If this can be dealt with by the co-ordinator rather than being added to our workload, it will facilitate the process of organ donation considerably.

It is perhaps not the business of this committee but the issue of the single transplant centre has been raised by a number of members. I may have a different perspective compared to others. There are synergies in having a transplantation centre as part of a general hospital that would be lost in having a single transplant centre. At a time when we are trying to merge obstetric hospitals with general hospitals, there might be negative effects in terms of access to specialists in many areas. In the case of kidney transplantations in Beaumont Hospital, there is access to endocrinologists and a large general intensive care unit that would not be available in a single centre.

I will pass on some of the other questions which will be answered by my colleagues.