The Department of Health has decided not to re establish a paediatric liver transplant service programme. Following a comprehensive review of the issue, it was concluded that "it would not be appropriate at this point" to re establish the service, the department said.
The national liver transplant programme began in Ireland in 1985. The statement said that by 1990, it had become dear that initial results following on the paediatric transplants were poor. Since March 1991, paediatric patients from Ireland have been referred to King's College Hospital in London.