More than 200 in South waiting for kidney transplants
NHS figures show operations dropped by a third during the pandemic
People across the South are being asked to share their organ donation decision and also take a moment to consider living kidney donation this World Kidney Day (March 10th).
More than 4,600 are currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant across the UK, including 123 patients in Hampshire and 37 in Dorset.
NHS Blood and Transplant has warned that figure is likely to rise, due to a large drop in transplant numbers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Deceased donor transplants down 22% and living donor transplants down 60% - an overall drop in kidney transplants of 32% in 2020/21, compared to 2019/2020.
This means around 1,100 fewer patients received a kidney transplant in 2020/21, compared to the year before.
Living donor transplantation opens up opportunities for patients wating for a kidney transplant by minimising the time people need to rely on dialysis and by offering patients who wait the longest i.e. those who are most difficult to match, are particularly ‘sensitised’ (which means they have higher levels of antibodies which could cause their body to reject a transplanted organ) or are from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background, the chance of a successful transplant.
University of Portsmouth student Alisha Gokani has been waiting years for a kidney transplant and has been told her best chance of a transplant is a living donor from the same background, an Indian background.
Alisha says every day is a struggle - having treatment four times a week while having to fit that around studying for a degree.
“At just seven years old I was told I had a rare condition which meant that my kidneys would fail before I reached my teenage years.
"When the time came that I began to get seriously ill my mum was kind enough to donate one of her kidneys without a second thought. However, it wasn’t as easy as we thought, and even with treatments and attempts at preventions, I kept getting infections and eventually rejected this kidney at age 19.
"Since then, I have been on dialysis, as a young adult attempting to get a degree, this hasn’t been the easiest. I’ve had to completely rearrange my life, taking time away from university initially, but thankfully I was able to return.
"I have been told that a living donor from the same ethnicity as me would be the best possible match. As I have had a transplant before my body has created a lot of antibodies which provides extra challenges so I could be waiting a very long time.
"If a live donor came forward my antibodies can be removed to match the donors just before surgery, everything could be planned and controlled for the best possible outcome.
"Living donation is a big ask and something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, but I am kindly asking people to read more about organ donation, talk to their family and discuss their decision."
The law currently works on an opt-out system across England, Wales and Scotland, but many people are still not aware that families will still always be consulted before organ donation goes ahead.
People can donate a kidney in life to a particular individual (a relative, friend or someone they know who is in need of a transplant) or choose to donate anonymously where their kidney will either go to a high priority patient on the transplant list or create a chain of transplants via the UK living kidney sharing scheme.
Anthony Clarkson, Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, at NHS Blood and Transplant, says:
“We know the pandemic is a very worrying time for kidney patients as thousands of people wait for a life-changing kidney transplant.
“We’re pleased that transplant activity is now recovering and we’re doing everything we can to enable as many transplants as possible to take place as quickly as possible."
More information on organ donation, including how to register your organ donation decision, can be found on the NHS Blood and Transplant website or by calling 0300 123 23 23.