Aberdeen should be made Scotland’s centre for a world-leading method of treating patients with life-threatening heart and lung conditions, local politicians have said.
For several years, doctors at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) have been the only ones in the country saving patients in an intensive care unit with an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) life-support machine.
ECMO treatment is delivered using specialist equipment and skills to pump blood out of the body, removing carbon dioxide and restoring oxygen levels.
It is used to treat exceptionally ill patients with conditions like swine flu, severe pneumonia and heart failure, as well as those waiting for a heart or lung transplant.
Aberdeen is a satellite site in the UK network for this specialist treatment with all referrals coming through the UK’s main ECMO centre at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester.
Currently around one quarter of Scottish referrals are treated in Aberdeen and the rest sent to Leicester.
It has been decided there should be a dedicated ECMO centre north of the border.
NHS Grampian has submitted a bid based on its pioneering work in the field, but it is understood the board is competing against others in Scotland.
Yesterday Alexander Burnett, Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, said: “It is great to hear that Scotland is to have an ECMO centre and there is no doubt it should be located in Aberdeen.
“This technology has been in use at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for some time.
“The expertise and know-how is all there. It would be backward to relocate this site away from the north-east.
“It seems a no-brainer and I sincerely hope we will not see another specialist service lost to the Central Belt.”
The expertise developed in Aberdeen resulted in ECMO staff being given a coveted platinum plaque for the level of care shown to patients.
The plaque was the first to be awarded in Scotland and recognises the staff’s outstanding service and dedication.
If the NHS Grampian bid is successful, its ECMO site will be expanded. If another health board is chosen, there are fears for the future of the ARI facility.
A final decision is expected in around six months time.
NHS Grampian declined to comment.
