Queensland first for Mater Private Hospital Brisbane

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Mater Private Hospital Brisbane has become the first private hospital in Queensland to launch an automatic notification system for tissue donation.

The implementation follows a highly successful launch of the same automated system at Mater Adult Hospital in March. In the past three months, Mater Adult Hospital has recorded a 100 per cent report rate and exceeded the number of donations made in 2009 within the first two months of operation.

MPHB Executive Director Don Murray said initial evidence indicated that automatic notification had improved tissue donor numbers at Mater Adult Hospital.

“We are now the first private hospital in Australia, to introduce this system,” Mr Murray said.

To facilitate the implementation of the program, Mater Health Services has a dedicated Clinical Nurse Consultant for Organ and Tissue Donation, Petrea Aslett, based at Mater Adult Hospital.

“I have seen first hand the difference tissue donation can make to a person’s life. I believe all people should be given the opportunity to donate and this new process will help that happen,” Ms Aslett said.

Mr Murray said Ms Aslett had worked in conjunction with DonateLife, the Queensland Eye Bank and Mater Health Services IT department to deliver the new automated system.

DonateLife Queensland State Medical Director Dr Phil Sargent said tissue donation not only improved lives—it also saved them. “Seventy per cent of heart tissue recipients are babies and children,” Dr Sargent said.

The real-time system works via Mater’s electronic inpatient system ‘iPM’ and allows for automatic notification to the Tissue Banks upon the death of a potential donor inpatient. Donor corneas and heart tissue is only viable for retrieval within 12 hours.

Mr Murray said the new system would optimise the number of possible donors.

“Through this technology, we will ensure that the family of every medically suitable MPHB patient is given the opportunity to decide to donate should that be their wish or the desire of their loved one.”

For more information go to www.donatelife.gov.au or sign on to the Australian Organ Donor Register online or call 1800 777 203.

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