The Prince Charles Hospital Transplant Services
MEDIA STATEMENT
The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) Transplant Service continues to deliver world-class care, with patient safety and wellbeing at the centre of everything it does.
Since commencing operations, TPCH has performed 521 heart transplants and 658 lung transplants.
Metro North Health thanks the TPCH team and dedicated consumer groups for their dedication, insight and collaboration, which continue to drive improvements in care and foster a positive, supportive workplace culture.
Long-term results show the service delivers outcomes on par with, and in some cases better than, leading transplant centres around the world.
Since January 2016 until November 2025 the lung transplant program has undertaken over of 300 lung transplants with 1 year survival just over 90 percent. Patients have a median survival of nine years, well above the international average of 6.2 years.
Since 2010, the Queensland Heart Transplant Service has achieved a one-year survival rate of about 87 percent and a long-term survival rate of 55 percent at 12 years, consistent with international results.
Behind each of these numbers are patients with complex needs who’ve been given a second chance at life through the care, skill and dedication of an exceptional team.
Metro North Health remains committed to maintaining a safe, high-performing and sustainable transplant service through immediate and long-term improvements.
In May 2024, Metro North Health commissioned an independent review of The Prince Charles Hospital’s Heart and Lung Transplant Services to benchmark performance and identify opportunities to strengthen service delivery and sustainability.
The review confirmed the service plays a vital role in Queensland’s healthcare system, providing life-saving care. It also recognised the Lung Transplant team for its strong, supportive culture and collaborative approach.
It also highlighted key areas for improvement within the Heart Transplant Service and made 43 recommendations to strengthen performance and outcomes.
Since receiving the report, Metro North Health has made strong progress, with 34 recommendations completed and with the remaining 9 underway. This includes targeted reforms to strengthen leadership, culture, and clinical governance, supported by an additional $5.9 million in ongoing annual funding from 2026 and continued international recruitment for critical clinical roles.
Since the review, 10 new staff have been appointed with recruitment continuing. Another 17 are expected to start in early 2026.
Recruitment includes a mix of clinical staff to strengthen the multidisciplinary team, including a new Assistant Nursing Director who commenced in October.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is happening at The Prince Charles Hospital?
The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) has had some recent media coverage in relation to its heart transplant services. The media relates to a benchmarking exercise undertaken in 2024 for heart and lung transplant services at TPCH.
The external benchmarking exercise was initiated by Metro North Health to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement to ensure transplant services meets community needs.
The exercise resulted in a number of recommendations, many of which have been implemented already and some that continue to be implemented to improve the overall safety and efficiency of the heart transplant service.
Additional funding has been provided to increase staffing, initially an additional $2 million in FY24-25 and more recently an additional $5.9 million in FY25-26.
Are transplant services at The Prince Charles Hospital clinically safe for patients?
Yes, our transplant services are safe. Our transplant teams consist of dedicated health care professionals who possess specialist skills and extensive experience in caring for highly complex patients before, during and after transplant.
Patients who require transplantation are generally extremely unwell with a transplant often being the only option for survival.
Should heart transplant patients at The Prince Charles Hospital be seeking interstate care?
The Heart Transplant Service at The Prince Charles Hospital is safe, and achieving outcomes equivalent to national and international peers.
All patients have the right to make decisions about their own care. If a patient has any questions or concerns about any aspect of their care, they should contact their treating team who can discuss options available to them.
Is the Heart Transplant Service going to close?
No, the Heart Transplant Service is not going to close. The benchmarking exercise undertaken in 2024 clearly recommended that the service should not close or pause. It recommended that Metro North Health maintain heart transplant services at The Prince Charles Hospital.
Why are the Heart Transplant Service’s mortality rates significantly higher than other transplant centres in Australia and overseas?
A five-year period was considered as part of the benchmarking exercise.
Indicative of the overarching performance of the service are the outcomes over a longer period of time to account for the fluctuating transplant numbers on a yearly basis.
For full transparency, since January 2010, the one-year survival for heart transplantation at The Prince Charles Hospital has been 87.2% and long-term survival is 55% at 12 years.
This is consistent with the International Society for heart transplantation benchmarks for this timeframe.
Why has the full benchmarking report not been released?
The staff who were interviewed by the review team were advised that their feedback would remain confidential, which was captured in an actual recommendation.
A summary of the report’s key themes and recommendations was made available to staff and published on Metro North’s website in November 2024. An appropriately redacted version of the report has been made available where possible, to support implementation of the recommendations.
Should I cancel my appointment?
It is not advisable for you to cancel your appointment. Your health is our priority, and your appointment has been scheduled by our specialist team based on your clinical needs. Keeping your appointment will allow us to provide you with the best possible care. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your treating team.
Who can I contact if I have any questions or concerns?
Patients have the option to contact their relevant transplant coordinator, or speak to the transplant team during business hours or during their normal clinic appointment.
Alternatively, please reach out to TPCH executives by emailing ExecDir-TPCH@health.qld.gov.au