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All-Ireland organ donation focus of conference

Only a third of the population have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register 
Only a third of the population have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register  Only a third of the population have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register 

INTERNATIONAL experts attended a major conference on organ transplantation yesterday to explore ways to increase donations across Ireland.

Organised by the National Transplant Society, the prestigious event was hosted in Northern Ireland for the first time as part of transplant week.

Guest speakers included Professor Bob Montgomery, who is based at John Hopkins hospital in the United States and is global expert on transplantation for incompatible patients - a hugely important area as increasing numbers of dialysis patients are exposed to antibodies which deems them ineligible.

Around 15 people in Northern Ireland die each year waiting for an organ transplant. Only a third of the population have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Dr David Healy, a consultant cardio-thoracic surgeon at St Vincent's and Mater University Hospitals in Dublin, said the ultimate aim of the event was to improve access to transplantation across the island.

"It provides an opportunity for health care professionals to meet and explore areas of co-operation that make sense between two geographically and culturally close systems," he said.

"The needs of transplant patients should always to be put first. The broader global transplant experience has demonstrated that patient needs transcend national boundaries and where co-operation has flourished, these patient needs are better met."

Event organiser Tim Brown, a consultant transplant surgeon at Belfast City Hospital, said transplantation in the north is "thriving" and they are on target for a record number of kidney transplants this year.

"Indeed, we are fortunate to have a population and system that supports the very best live donor rates and outcomes, not just in the UK, but in the whole of Europe and continental United States.

"This conference provides an opportunity to share best practice and further develop organ donation opportunities across Ireland."