NKF Campaigns Zone:
Government & Parliament

Answers to Parliamentary Questions

ASYSTOLIC KIDNEY ORGAN DONOR OPERATIONS

Mr Peter Pike (La. Burnley):

271 To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many units in the UK routinely carry out asystolic kidney organ donor operations; what plans he has to increase the number of units who carry out such operations; and if he will make a statement. [96134]

274 To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research has been carried out to compare the cost of sustaining a patient on dialysis whilst waiting for a kidney organ transplant to the cost of increasing the number of asystolic kidney donor operations; and if he will make a statement. [96204]

MR LAMMY

Successful transplantation of donor kidneys is by far the most clinically effective and cost­ effective treatment for suitable patients with established renal failure. The average cost of maintaining a heamodialysis patient is estimated at £34,500 per annum, compared with £20,000 for the first year of a cadaveric kidney transplant and £6,500 per annum after the first year. Survival data from three transplants units show that the medium term outcomes of successful transplantation of non-heartbeating donor kidneys are as good as heartbeating donor transplants.

In 2001-02 and 2002-03, UK Transplant funded seven National Health Service trusts to increase the number of non-heartbeating donor transplants.