Rising numbers of diabetes patients are creating a kidney health crisis, with the number of people waiting for a transplant at the highest level in a decade, a charity has warned.
Figures released today by the NHS show that 6,250 people are waiting for a kidney, up 10 per cent on a year ago.
In the past 12 months, 608 people were taken off the transplant list because they were too sick for the operation, and another 258 people died while waiting on the list.
A report from Kidney Care UK warns that urgent action is needed to turn the tide, or years of progress in increasing transplant rates will be lost.
It has been noted that the number of people in the UK requiring life-saving treatment for kidney failure is increasing dramatically, with someone being diagnosed almost every hour.
Figures released today from the NHS show 6,250 people are waiting for a kidney – up 10 per cent on a year ago (stock image)
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the UK, with one in five needing a transplant as a result of the disease. It is estimated that there will be 7.6 million people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by 2033 — an increase of almost half a million (stock image)
In 2021, 8,175 adult patients started renal replacement therapy, either through dialysis or transplantation. This is an increase of 7.3 percent compared to 2020.
This number is predicted to increase significantly over the next decade, due to an increase in risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure and an aging population.
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, policy director at the charity, said: ‘We are very concerned and saddened that the waiting list for kidney transplants is now the longest it has been in a decade.
‘It is now time for the government to tackle the transplant.
‘The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the waiting list and opportunities have been missed to take full advantage of the change in the organ donation law to an opt-out system.’
Nearly 4.3 million people were living with diabetes in 2021/22, according to UK figures. And a further 850,000 people have diabetes and are completely unaware of it, which is worrying because untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to complications including heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the UK, with one in five people needing a transplant due to the disease.
Last year, Diabetes UK declared that the UK was facing a “rapidly escalating diabetes crisis” largely caused by unhealthy lifestyles, with the number of people with the disease having exceeded 5 million for the first time.
Growing waiting lists and a lack of recovery after a 30 percent drop in transplants during the pandemic have led to a worsening situation for transplant patients, the report said.
In London alone, there are 1,753 people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Once on the list, patients have to wait an average of 500 days for a transplant.
The report found that there were wide variations in the tests required to be eligible for the transplant waiting list, and inconsistencies in the labelling of a person’s high-risk status, resulting in a postcode lottery for transplants.
One in three people said waiting times for tests made it harder to get on the waiting list or get a transplant.
Patients reported an unmet need for psychological support while on the waiting list, with almost one in five being called up for a transplant that did not go ahead. There was also a lack of support after transplants had been performed.
The report also points out the many financial challenges faced by transplant patients, including the immediate loss of disability benefits without means-testing after surgery, while patients still face health problems and costs for ongoing medications.
The charity is calling on the new government to prioritise slowing the growth of the kidney transplant waiting list and using public health education to reduce the number of people developing the disease.
People at risk should be screened to allow earlier detection and better access to treatments that can slow the disease, they said, with more consistent care before and after transplants.
Greater public awareness of organ donation, training of NHS staff, investment in transplant technology and access to operating theatres are also vital to improving services, the report says.
Ms Loud added: ‘We need the government to stop more people getting kidney disease, the NHS to provide the best possible care and to create theatre spaces, technology, education and awareness. Otherwise we risk more people dying before they get the chance to receive that life-changing phone 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 transplants took place, but we need more people to sign up to the NHS organ donor register and we need to be innovative to make the most of every valuable organ.
‘We look forward to tackling this problem together with the government.’