Respiratory System: Medical Equipment

(asked on 29th January 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and which hospitals in England have provided extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation treatment in each year since 2010.


Answered by
Edward Argar Portrait
Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 5th February 2020

Since 2015, NHS England has commissioned a total of 15 adult respiratory extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) beds per annum from five providers in England (with a further provider in Scotland). In periods of high demand, capacity can be increased in line with an agreed standard operating procedure. In winter 2018/19, when there was significant morbidity associated with influenza, capacity was increased to over 30 beds. The five providers of adult ECMO beds are as below:

- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust;

- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust;

- Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;

- Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust; and

- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Since 2015, NHS England has also commissioned paediatric respiratory ECMO beds from five providers in England (with a further provider in Scotland). In periods of high demand, capacity at these providers can be increased in line with an agreed standard operating procedure. Whilst there is no set number of beds per provider because the number of paediatric cases is very small, there are typically no more than three patients requiring respiratory ECMO at any one time. The five providers of paediatric ECMO beds are as below:

- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust;

- Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;

- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust;

- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and

- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

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