More people are dying while waiting for a kidney – our response to new transplant data
We’re calling for urgent action to be taken to tackle the UK’s growing kidney transplant crisis, as new NHS data shows the growing strain on transplant services, reporting the highest number of patients dying on the waiting list in 17 years.
NHS Blood and Transplant’s latest annual report has revealed that 306 people died last year while waiting for a kidney transplant – up from 289 the year before and representing six deaths every week amongst those waiting. At the same time, the number of people on the active kidney transplant list has surged to 6,939 – an 11% rise in a single year – and the average waiting time for a kidney transplant has increased to 503 days.
6,939 people are currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant
The figures reflect the warnings given our our 2023 report Kidney disease: A UK public health emergency, which predicted that without immediate intervention, the number of people needing treatment for kidney failure threatens to overwhelm the NHS by 2033.
“These figures are a wake-up call,” said Alison Railton, director of policy and public affairs at Kidney Research UK.
“The rise in the number of people dying waiting for a transplant is shocking – and it shows how fragile the transplant system has become. We’ve been saying for some time now that rapid change is needed so that more people can receive life-saving transplants – ideally before they reach the point of needing dialysis. These figures only add to that reality.”
Kidney disease remains overlooked in national health planning, with kidney transplantation absent from the government’s 10 Year Health Plan. This is despite the fact that pre-emptive transplantation is a key, cost saving measure.
There are signs of hope. Living donor kidney transplants rose by 6% last year – the highest since before the pandemic – and now account for over 40% of all organ donations. In total, 964 people donated a kidney in the last year, including 60 who donated anonymously to a stranger.
We are already working in partnership with the charity Give a Kidney – through the Robert Dangoor Partnership for Living Kidney Donation – to deliver a targeted campaign called Make Your Mark, that encourages more people to consider becoming a living kidney donor.
As the leading kidney research charity in the UK, we are also urging the government to commit to a which would include increasing kidney transplants – in line with the recommendations set out in our 2023 report, which identifies pre-emptive transplantation as a key, cost-saving intervention to reduce reliance on dialysis.
“We welcome the rise in living donors – it’s a great step forward,” said Alison. “Living donation has huge potential, but we need to build on this momentum. Through the Robert Dangoor Partnership, we’re helping to raise awareness of living donation and remove the barriers that stop more people from coming forward.
We are offering £1.5 million to researchers through our current live grant awards
e disappointing picture revealed in these new transplantation statistics – from improving transplant longevity to using more of the kidneys we retrieve. We need targeted investment, faster adoption of innovations, and a commitment to integrate new transplant approaches into long-term NHS planning.
“The science is there – and the need has never been greater. What we need now is strategic investment to scale the breakthroughs that can change the future for kidney patients.
“Our supporters are helping tackle this, with their donations enabling us to offer £1.5 million to researchers through our current live grants awards. But this will only go so far. We’re asking funders, policymakers and NHS leaders to step up, scale up, and help bring innovation from the lab into theatres and clinics.”
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