Rising levels of diabetes are fuelling a crisis in kidney health, with the highest number of patients awaiting transplants in a decade, a charity has warned.
NHS figures released today show 6,250 people are waiting for a kidney, up 10 per cent from a year ago.
In the past 12 months, 608 people were removed from the transplant list because they were too sick for surgery, while another 258 people died while waiting on the list.
Today, a report from Kidney Care UK warns that urgent action is needed to stem the tide or years of progress in increasing transplant rates will be lost.
The number of people in the UK requiring life-saving treatment for kidney failure is seen to be growing dramatically, with someone being diagnosed almost every hour.
NHS figures released today show 6,250 people are waiting for a kidney, up 10 per cent from a year ago (file image)
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the UK, with one in five people needing a transplant as a result of the condition. It is estimated that by 2033 there will be 7.6 million people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), an increase of almost half a million (file image)
In 2021, 8,175 adult patients started renal replacement therapy, either through dialysis or transplant, an increase of 7.3 percent compared to 2020.
This figure is expected to rise significantly over the next decade, due to the increase in risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as an ageing population, he said.
It is estimated that by 2033 there will be 7.6 million people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), an increase of almost half a million.
Fiona Loud, the charity’s policy director, said: “We are extremely concerned and saddened that the waiting list for kidney transplants is the longest it has been in a decade.
‘Now is the time for the Government to take control of transplantation.
‘The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the waiting list and opportunities have been missed to make the most of the change in organ donation law to an opt-out system.’
According to UK figures, almost 4.3 million people were living with diabetes in 2021/22. And a further 850,000 people have diabetes and don’t know it at all, which is worrying because untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to complications such as heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the UK and one in five people need a transplant as a result of the disease.
Last year, Diabetes UK declared that the UK was in a “rapidly escalating diabetes crisis”, largely driven by unhealthy lifestyles, with the number of people suffering from the disease exceeding 5 million for the first time.
Growing waiting lists and the failure to recover from the 30 percent drop in transplants during the pandemic have led to a worsening of the situation for transplant patients, the report said.
In London alone, 1,753 people are on the kidney waiting list, and patients wait an average of 500 days for a transplant once they have been placed on the list.
The report identified wide variation in the tests needed to be considered for the transplant waiting list and inconsistencies in labeling whether someone is high risk, resulting in a ZIP code lottery for transplants.
One in three people reported that wait times for testing made it harder to get on the waiting list or receive a transplant.
Patients reported that their psychological support needs had not been met while on the waiting list and that nearly one in five had been called for a transplant that did not take place. There was also a lack of support once the transplants had taken place.
The report also identified many financial hardships experienced by transplant patients, including the immediate loss of non-means-tested disability benefits after surgery, even though people still face ongoing health problems and medication costs.
The charity is calling on the new government to prioritise slowing the growth of the kidney transplant waiting list and use public health messaging to reduce the number of people developing the condition.
People at risk should be screened to allow earlier detection and better access to treatments that can help delay the disease, they said, with more consistent care before and after transplants.
Greater public awareness of organ donation, training for NHS staff, investment in transplant technology and access to surgical spaces for operations are also vital to improving services, the report says.
Ms Loud added: “We need the Government to stop more people developing kidney disease, for the NHS to provide the best possible care and for operating spaces, technology, education and awareness to be provided or we risk more people dying before they get the chance to get that life-changing call.”
An NHS Blood and Transplant spokesman said: ‘More than 6,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant.
‘Last year, more than 3,300 kidney transplant operations were carried out, but we need more people to register on the NHS Organ Donor Register and we need to be innovative to make the most of every precious organ.
“We look forward to working with the Government to address this issue.”
