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Walsall Mother Denied Double Lung Transplant as QE Birmingham Seeks Second Opinion

The 45-year-old with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension now relies on continuous oxygen.

Overview

  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham assessed her last week and declined to add her to the transplant waiting list, citing concerns she would not survive or recover from surgery.
  • She says prior assessments at Royal Hallamshire in Sheffield indicated she met criteria for a transplant after fitness, lung function, catheter and blood tests.
  • She reports clinicians later referenced anatomical issues with how her lungs sit in her rib cage as an additional factor in the decision.
  • She had a severe water infection during the QE assessment and believes it affected judgements, though she says a doctor told her the infection markers would not change the outcome.
  • Her son has lodged a formal complaint, and the hospital says a multidisciplinary team made the decision and has requested a second opinion from another transplant centre.