Tragedy of Britain's organ transplant patients
The Independent | Emily Dugan
As demand rises relentlessly, pressure on the system is increased by families who refuse to honour loved ones' wishes
Leading health experts warned yesterday that Britain is heading towards a national "tragedy" where more people than ever will die waiting for organs, as growing demand combines with high rates of families refusing consent for donation. Demand for kidneys, which make up the majority of donor operations, is at an all-time high. The number of people in the UK with established renal failure went up by 23 per cent between 2001 and 2010, taking the total to 40,000.
Three people die every day in Britain waiting for urgent organ transplants, and there are currently 7,450 people on the waiting list. Lynne Holt, a national campaigner and clinical transplant co-ordinator at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, said: "Unless public perception changes and more people discuss their wishes, the tragedy is that more people will die waiting for an organ." Matt Coyne, chairman of the charity Live Life Then Give Life, said the Government urgently needed to fund a campaign to recruit donors.
Perhaps most worryingly, Dr Paul Murphy, the national clinical lead for organ donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said the latest figures highlighting problems with donation are just the "tip of the iceberg", with thousands suffering from acute organ failure not even eligible for the list. "The waiting list doesn't include the people who've been turned away and told there's never a chance you'd get it because there are other people who'd benefit more. We're always fighting against shifting sands, with an older population and an increased instance of people with organ failure. And the demand for organ transplants will go up. We've got an older population and a higher incidence of diabetes because of obesity. I don't know if deceased donation will ever be enough because people are getting older and they're dying of diseases that are not compatible with donation."
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{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}
As demand rises relentlessly, pressure on the system is increased by families who refuse to honour loved ones' wishes
Leading health experts warned yesterday that Britain is heading towards a national "tragedy" where more people than ever will die waiting for organs, as growing demand combines with high rates of families refusing consent for donation. Demand for kidneys, which make up the majority of donor operations, is at an all-time high. The number of people in the UK with established renal failure went up by 23 per cent between 2001 and 2010, taking the total to 40,000.
Three people die every day in Britain waiting for urgent organ transplants, and there are currently 7,450 people on the waiting list. Lynne Holt, a national campaigner and clinical transplant co-ordinator at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, said: "Unless public perception changes and more people discuss their wishes, the tragedy is that more people will die waiting for an organ." Matt Coyne, chairman of the charity Live Life Then Give Life, said the Government urgently needed to fund a campaign to recruit donors.
Perhaps most worryingly, Dr Paul Murphy, the national clinical lead for organ donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said the latest figures highlighting problems with donation are just the "tip of the iceberg", with thousands suffering from acute organ failure not even eligible for the list. "The waiting list doesn't include the people who've been turned away and told there's never a chance you'd get it because there are other people who'd benefit more. We're always fighting against shifting sands, with an older population and an increased instance of people with organ failure. And the demand for organ transplants will go up. We've got an older population and a higher incidence of diabetes because of obesity. I don't know if deceased donation will ever be enough because people are getting older and they're dying of diseases that are not compatible with donation."
Continue reading
{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}
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