THE hospital is now facing an investigation. It had ignored the needs of 400 British citizens and instead gave the liver to private Greek and Cypriot patients

The National Health Services Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the health authority in charge of transplant services in Britain, decided to refer the King's situation to health watchdogs following a board meeting on Thursday.

In a statement, it said: 'The board was presented with information about the unusually high number of non-UK EU residents who received liver transplants at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust between 2003 and 2007.'

PROBE LAUNCHED

The Healthcare Commission watchdog announced its inquiry into King's after the alleged scandal was raised by the Mail on Sunday.

Surgeons led by Professor Nigel Heaton, who attracted controversy over his decision to give a transplant to alcoholic football star George Best, are paid about ????pounds;20,000 ($54,000) for each operation they carry out the transplant.

The Evening Standard reported that the hospital has struck a deal with the Greek and Cypriot governments to treat the patients privately.

Senior medical sources have revealed that King's earns around ????pounds;85,000 per operation, from which the surgeon's fee is deducted.

Between January 2003 and December 2007, 111 liver transplants were carried out across the country on European Union patients from outside Britain, of which 72 were conducted by the six liver surgeons at King's.

Of those 72 patients, 47 were from Greece and Cyprus.

There is a desperate shortage of donor organs in Britain. At least 400 people in this country are waiting for a new liver - 20 per cent of whom will die before a suitable organ can be found.

The shortage has become so acute that British PM Gordon Brown has called for the introduction of 'presumed consent' - everyone would be considered a potential donor at death unless an objection had been registered in advance.

Under current laws, residents of any European Union country are able to travel to other member states for medical treatment and have the cost reimbursed by their own health service.

But some hospitals refuse to consider non-UK patients for transplant because they believe organs donated in the UK should be reserved primarily for British nationals.

The situation at King's is causing deep concern within the medical profession and among patients.

Ms Ingrid Shillito, a director of the British Liver Trust charity, said: 'The sad truth is there aren't enough livers donated to give seriously ill people a second chance of life.

'It would be very wrong for financial matters to influence these difficult decisions, for patients to buy their way to the top of the list.'

FOREIGNERS ENTITLED

King's has admitted that many of its Greek patients come from the Laiko Hospital in Athens, one of the biggest in the country. The Greek health service, including its transplant service, is seriously underfunded.

A statement from the hospital said: 'Under European law, citizens of the European Union are entitled to treatment under the NHS, and King's carries out liver transplants on a small number of patients referred by EU member countries.

'The Greek and Cypriot governments have chosen to pay for treatment provided to Greek and Cypriot patients outside this block contract arrangement.'

As a result, King's receives payment directly from Greece and Cyprus for all Greek and Cypriot patients treated here.

This article was first published in The New Paper on July 7, 2008.