Make kidney disease and a priority in UK
I AM writing to you in response to Kidney Research UK’S and Give a Kidney’s new research, which reveals how people across the country feel about living kidney donation.
The results are quite significant; 13 per cent of people in the UK would consider becoming a living kidney donor for someone they don’t know, 55 per cent for a family member and nearly a third (30 per cent) for a friend. This is against a backdrop of 80 per cent of people believing you can change someone’s life, even if you’ve never met them.
These findings come as the waiting list for a kidney transplant in the UK sits at more than 5,500, with six people dying each week whilst waiting.
Last year, Kidney Research UK warned that cases of kidney disease and failure were growing so rapidly, the country faced a public health emergency.
Kidney disease is a huge problem globally. Worldwide, kidney diseases are the tenth most common cause of death and the number of people developing kidney disease in the UK is growing significantly, driven by risk factors such as health and economic inequalities.
Our report published last year warned that the rapid rise in kidney disease and kidney failure meant the NHS could be overwhelmed in just ten years’ time. The report also revealed that increasing the numbers of transplants from living donors would not only save lives but would also save the NHS money compared to expensive and lifelimiting dialysis treatment.
Given this stark reality, this poll comes at a vital time and is part of a new Uk-wide campaign, Make Your Mark, launched by Kidney Research UK and Give a Kidney to encourage more people to consider becoming a living kidney donor alongside support through a new website www.donateakidney.co.uk.
The campaign has been made possible thanks to significant support from David Dangoor CBE, who is himself a living kidney donor and we are hopeful the results of this poll will have a profound impact on those considering donating and help everyone gain a better understanding of the process involved.
If there is one message that we take from this research, it must be that it’s time to make kidney disease and transplantation a priority. Sandra Currie, Chief Executive,
Kidney Research UK.