Gift that can change someone’s life

I am in response to Kidney Research UK’s and Give a Kidney’s new research yesterday which reveals how people across the country feel about living kidney donation.

The results are quite significant; 13% of people in the UK would consider becoming a living kidney donor for someone they don’t know, 55% for a family member and nearly a third (30%) for a friend. This is against a backdrop of 80% 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.

It’s time to make kidney disease and transplantation a priority. SANDRA CURRIE, Chief Executive, Kidney Research UK