Pancreas transplants 'to treble'

There is high demand for transplants

The government has pledged to treble the number of pancreas transplant operations carried out in England and Wales to 150 a year in five years.

Health Minister Rose Winterton said from April 2004 the service would be controlled at a national level.

Pancreas transplants are usually combined with kidney transplants for people with Type 1 diabetes and severe kidney failure.

Together they remove the need for both insulin injections and dialysis.

A combined kidney and pancreas transplant will mean that for some people they will not only have an end to dialysis but will also have a cure for the underlying cause. Benet Middleton

Ministers hope the increase in pancreatic transplantations should meet the national demand by 2009.

There is currently a general shortage of donor organs in the UK. However, it is thought that the pancreas is not always retrieved when donor organs do become available.

This might be because some NHS trusts do not make funds avaiable for pancreas transplants.

The new, national strategy is designed to end this piecemeal approach, and to raise awareness that the organ should be preserved wherever possible for use in transplant surgery.

Ms Winterton said: "A combined pancreatic and kidney transplant is a truly life changing event for recipients and their families.

"The national commissioning of pancreatic transplants will ensure a high quality, expert service and equal opportunity of access for patients requiring this operation no matter where they live in England and Wales."

A combined pancreas and kidney transplant (compared to kidney transplant alone) increases 10 year survival from 30% to 80%.

It may also halt or reverse some of the secondary complications of diabetes.

It is usually carried out at the same time as a kidney transplant but can be done as a stand alone procedure.

Significant benefits

Diabetes UK said the best way to tackle kidney disease caused by diabetes was to diagnose the condition at an earlier stage before complications had a chance to kick in.

However, Benet Middleton, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the setting of a target for more operations was good news.

"A combined kidney and pancreas transplant will mean that for some people they will not only have an end to dialysis but will also have a cure for the underlying cause."

In future commissioning and funding of pancreas transplants will be controlled by the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group (NSCAG).

At present, the group controlls funding for 26 highly specialised services across the NHS.

Diabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are too high the body cannot convert starchy and sugary foods into energy.

The Type 1 form of the condition develops when the body's insulin cells have been destroyed. It develops mainly in children and adults under 40.