BBC accused of risking lives in "reckless" portrayal of organ donation in show

[Clark]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/holby-city-bbc-accused-risking-2119425

Holby City: BBC accused of risking lives in "reckless" portrayal of organ donation in show
As a result of this “gross distortion”, it says some registered donors have asked to come OFF the list, with potentially fatal results

The BBC was last night accused of risking lives and ignoring professional medical advice in a “reckless” portrayal of organ donation in Holby City.

Five million viewers watched this week’s episode which centred on a heart-swap plot about a teenage girl left brain dead after an accident and another needing a transplant.

But NHS Blood and Transplant, responsible for organ donation, has identified 12 disturbing events that would never be allowed to happen.

As a result of this “gross distortion”, it says some registered donors have asked to come OFF the list, with potentially fatal results.

In a stinging two-page letter of complaint, shown to the Mirror, NHSBT chiefs accuse the BBC of creating “a risk to public confidence” in the transplant system.

Three people die every day in the UK because there are not enough organ donations to meet demand.

Associate medical director Prof James Neuberger and national clinical lead Dr Paul Murphy warn the “inaccurate” portrayal could mean “fewer will become donors and fewer will get life-saving transplants”.

The BBC also went ahead with the fictional episode after allegedly ignoring “concerns about the storyline” from NHSBT’s top nurse.

The letter says: “Despite her sharing professional concerns about the proposed storyline, these scenes were nevertheless retained, presumably for the purpose of creating a more controversial storyline.

“The bodies of recently dead were portrayed as commodities and the wishes of grieving relatives treated with callous disregard. It was in our view inexcusable and reckless.”

Among a string of other inaccuracies shown on Tuesday evening during primetime on BBC1 the mother of a donor girl was told the recipient’s name.

She was also able to talk to the recipient’s transplant team. And she even witnessed the first incision to the chest of her daughter with a scalpel – after she had withdrawn consent. None of this would ever happen in reality.

The NHSBT bosses went on to accuse the BBC of misleading the public in a “gross distortion of the truth” which is a “betrayal of the trust placed in them by the taxpayer”.

Last night the BBC said the episode was not meant to be accurate and future episodes would address the consequences of breaches in protocol.

But critics pointed out that many of the 4.8 million viewers who tuned in may not see the rest of the series and could be left with a completely false impression of organ donation.

harm

More than 10,000 people in the UK currently need a transplant. Of these, 1,000 each year will die because there are not enough organs.

Prof Neuberger and Dr Murphy added: “If we are going to save more lives through transplantation then the public need to believe in the system that supports donation.

“Those responsible for this episode of Holby City threaten this and have done nothing but harm.”

After already receiving 48 complaints, a BBC spokesman said: “The purpose of this storyline is to dramatise the consequences that could arise should the protocols be ignored.”

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Don't be misled by soap fiction - By Sue Falvey, Head of Clinical and Nursing Governance 

NHS Blood and TransplantFor many years I have advised scriptwriters on programmes such as Holby City.

It’s an area of work I’m pleased to get involved in as it’s important an organisation like ours is able to advise scriptwriters through how organ donation works.

It’s always a difficult balance, as I understand the need for drama to engage viewers, yet it’s important to see organ donation accurately portrayed.

The more we demystify the process through TV and other areas of popular culture, the better.

The last thing any of us wants is for something fictional to damage public confidence in organ donation.

This programme has certainly caused a reaction from donor families, transplant recipients and hospital staff.

They really understand how the system works and challenged the inaccurate storyline.

I hope it doesn’t put people off making a decision to donate if and when they can; that viewers see this week’s episode as fiction, use it as a prompt to join the NHS organ donor register and let those around them know their wishes.

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A mum whose son of 18 saved the lives of two strangers has slammed the BBC over its “sick” portrayal of a heart transplant in Holby City.

Mandi Caddick, 40, wanted to spare other mums her heartbreak and allowed Aeron Griffiths’ liver and kidney to be donated after he died last year. The organs went to a boy of 13 and 21-year-old woman.

But she was left stunned after watching this week’s episode and wants an investigation into how so many inaccuracies were allowed to be shown.

Mandi said: “I was disgusted. The programme made out a donor’s family get no support and are left on their own.

“It’s not like that. I worry people who saw it are going to think they won’t have a choice when it comes to donating their relative’s organs. ”

Mandi, of Solihull, West Midlands, whose son had a rare genetic condition, said: “It helped us cope with Aeron’s death knowing he’s helped others.”

[Clark]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/scots-transplant-survivor-hits-out-2119163

Scots transplant survivor hits out at BBC over Holby City storyline she claims will cost lives

VICTORIA Glen went through a double lung transplant three years ago and has blasted the hospital drama plot in which staff go ahead with a heart transplant despite the donor’s mum withdrawing her consent.

A WOMAN whose life was saved by an organ donor has blasted the BBC over their portrayal of ­transplants.

Victoria Glen hit out about an episode of Holby City, which she insists will discourage people from donating organs.

The hospital drama featured a storyline on Tuesday where medic Mo goes ahead with a heart transplant despite the donor’s mum withdrawing her consent at the last minute.

NHS Blood and Transplant chiefs were also “extremely disappointed” – and claim people have asked to be taken off the donor register since the episode was screened.

Victoria, 30, from Glasgow, who had a double lung ­transplant in 2010, wrote an open letter to the BBC and Holby City on her blog.

She wrote: “Myself and many other people spend our days campaigning for people to think about organ donation, to discuss it with their families, friends, etc and to sign up.

“I was so disappointed and angry to read that Holby City sought out the advice of NHSBT on their recent organ donation storyline, only to dismiss their worries and run a storyline that has shown to be detrimental to our hard work.

“People are actively calling up to remove their names from the organ donor register after watching your television show and I find this very careless. To you it may seem like a small thing but to the people who need a transplant it is a massive blow to their campaign.”

NHSBT said: “We have already been contacted by people asking to be taken off the organ donor register as a direct result of having seen this programme.

“We were approached for advice on the script and it is disappointing to know that despite sharing our concerns about the depiction of certain situations, these scenes
were still kept in for the purpose of creating a more controversial story.

“The fictional depiction of organ donation was a wholly inaccurate portrayal of the organ donation and ­transplantation system. In reality, the system is ­underpinned by professional, caring NHS staff, who approach families at the right time to establish the wishes of the potential donor and implement them whenever they can.”

The BBC said: “We worked closely with experts who advised on transplant ­protocols but the purpose of this storyline is to dramatise the consequences that could arise should the correct protocols be wilfully ignored.

“This is an ongoing story and in the weeks to come viewers will see Mo face the fallout of her actions.”