Alcoholic man denied liver dies

A 22-year-old man who developed cirrhosis of the liver after years of binge drinking has died.

Gary Reinbach, from Dagenham, East London, was denied an emergency liver transplant by the NHS when it was decided that patients would need to be at least six months clean of alcohol.

Mr Reinbach was admitted to University College Hospital London 10 weeks ago. It is believed he drank heavily since he was 13.

A statement from NHS Blood and Transplant said: “This case highlights the dilemma doctors face because of the shortage of donated organs.

“They have to make tough decisions about who is going to get the benefit and who is going to take best care of this precious gift.”

Mr Reinbach’s mother, Madeline Hanshaw, told the Evening Standard: “These rules are really unfair.

“I’m not saying you should give a transplant to someone who is in and out of hospital all the time and keeps damaging themselves, but just for people like Gary, who made a mistake and never got a second chance.”

Campaign group Alcohol Concern believed more education should be given to young people regarding the dangers of drink.

A statement from the group read: “This doesn’t surprise us at all, sadly.

“Statistics show that more people are getting liver disease in their 30s and, if more teenagers are drinking, people will become seriously ill at a younger age.”

“There has not really been much research into younger people’s drinking and the effects that is having on health in this country.”

Mr Reinbach was never discharged during his 10 week stay.