NKF Campaigns Zone:
Government & Parliament

Answers to Parliamentary Questions

DIALYSIS AND TRANSPLANT QUESTIONS

Written Answers - 11-18 July 2007

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) received a kidney transplant and (b) were on the national transplant list for kidneys in each year since 2000; and what the average waiting time from referral to the list and surgery was. [148841]

ANN KEEN

The information is as follows.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many transplant co-ordinators are employed in the NHS; and what the figure was in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [148842]

ANN KEEN

This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were removed from the national transplant list for kidneys without completing an organ transplant in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [148843]

ANN KEEN

The number of patients removed from the United Kingdom kidney transplant list, during 2004-06 is shown in the following table.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of renal and transplant units are participating in national comparative audits and benchmarking by submitting data to the UK Renal Registry of the Renal Association and UK Transplant. [148844]

ANN KEEN

The Renal Registry is now collecting data on incidence and prevalence for 100 per cent. of United Kingdom renal units (with summary data being provided by the five non-linked sites in England). One hundred per cent. of transplant units submit data to UK Transplant.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the type and rate of complications for each type of dialysis access in each year since 2000. [148845]

ANN KEEN

This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the mean distance from patients’ homes to dialysis treatment centres. [148846]

ANN KEEN

This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) received an EGFR test for kidney function, (b) were referred to a nephrologist for further investigation and (c) received treatment for chronic kidney disease in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [148847]

ANN KEEN

This information is not collected centrally and there are no plans to collect data on these specific issues.

The overwhelming majority of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are under the care of general practitioners and do not need to be seen by secondary or tertiary hospital services.

At general practice level, the maintenance of a practice register of patients with CKD became a part of the quality and outcomes framework in April 2006, which should mean that a very comprehensive CKD dataset will develop over the next few years.

Data on people newly diagnosed with CKD for the year 2006-07 should be available from September 2007.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has undertaken of whether the standards and markers of best practice identified in the National Service Framework for Renal Services are being met across England. [148848]

ANN KEEN

The Department published “The National Service Framework for Renal Services: Second Progress Report” in May 2007, and this sets out its up to date view on the implementation of the National Service Framework for Renal Services.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many collaborative commissioning groups for specialist services were established by primary care trusts in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [148849]

MR BRADSHAW

The number of specialised commissioning groups, formed by consortia of primary care trusts, in the last three years, are set out in the following table.

The overall number reduced from April 2007 following the implementation of the recommendations of Sir David Carter’s Review of Commissioning Arrangements for Specialised Services.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients received treatment for anaemia prior to undergoing renal replacement therapy in the last period for which figures are available; and what the average duration of treatment was. [148877]

ANN KEEN

This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people received renal replacement therapy in each year since 2000; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of people likely to receive renal replacement therapy over the next 10 years. [148878]

ANN KEEN

According to the renal registry, actual numbers at 31 December each year were as follows.

Projected growth in numbers on renal replacement therapy is set out in the National Service Framework for Renal Services. It is predicted that numbers will arise to around 45,000 over the 10 years ending in 2014.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department has considered to increase the number of organs retrieved from (a) heart-beating and (b) non-heart beating donors. [148879]

ANN KEEN

The Department launched “Saving Lives, Valuing Donors: A Transplant Framework for England” in 2003 and the National Service Framework for Renal Services in 2004. These set out the Department’s key aims for organ and tissue transplantation over the following 10 years. Over the last five years, Government investment in hospital based initiatives has helped increase live and non heart-beating donor rates. An organ donor taskforce will report to Ministers in autumn 2007 on how organ donor rates can be further improved.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has made to increase laboratory testing capacity for the identification of suitable donor organs. [148880]

ANN KEEN

Decisions on capacity planning are for local decision.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with established renal failure waited longer than six months to be referred for assessment and surgery prior to receiving haemodialysis in each of the last four years for which figures are available. [148881]

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with established renal failure waited longer than four months to be referred for assessment and surgery prior to receiving peritoneal dialysis in each of the last four years for which figures are available. [148882]

ANN KEEN

There is no specific waiting list for dialysis. Dialysis is often an emergency treatment and patients with no kidney function will die in a matter of weeks if they do not receive dialysis. For patients whose disease has been identified well in advance of end-stage renal failure, dialysis begins at a time when the individual and his or her consultant feel is appropriate. Part 1 of the National Service Framework for Renal Services recommends starting to prepare people for dialysis about a year before it will be needed, as such preparation leads to better outcomes for the patient.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people received treatment for the management of chronic kidney disease in each year since 2000. [148883]

ANN KEEN

This information is not collected centrally and there are no plans to collect data on these specific issues.

The overwhelming majority of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are under the care of general practitioners and do not need to be seen by secondary or tertiary hospital services.

At general practice level, the maintenance of a practice register of patients with CKD became a part of the quality and outcomes framework in April 2006, which should mean that a very comprehensive CKD dataset will develop over the next few years.

Data on people newly diagnosed with CKD for the year 2006-07 should be available from September 2007.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance is issued to GPs concerning estimated glomerula filtration rate test results for kidney function. [148884]

ANN KEEN

The National Service Framework (NSF) for Renal Services recommended that, when kidney function is assessed and monitored, the most sensitive way to detect kidney disease is by use of a formula-based estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). To support the introduction of eGFR reporting, in 2006 the Department issued an information pack to the national health service. This consists of fact sheets which were sent to all general practitioners practices and pathology laboratories, explaining how to calculate and interpret eGFR, together with a note on frequently asked questions.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dialysis machines were available for use within the NHS in each year since 2000; and how many were located in (a) hospital renal units, (b) satellite units and (c) at patients’ homes. [148885]

ANN KEEN

This information is not collected centrally on a regular basis. The Department commissioned the United Kingdom Renal Registry to undertake a one off UK-wide survey in 2003 which identified (in 2002) 1,313 dialysis stations in hospital units in England, 1,268 in satellite units and 482 in people’s homes. The number will almost certainly have grown significantly since.

Mrs Janet Dean (Burton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people received (a) haemodialysis and (b) peritoneal dialysis in NHS facilities in each year since 2000. [148886]

ANN KEEN

Information on the services provided specifically in national health services facilities are not collated centrally, as almost all United Kingdom haemodialysis facilities, whether operated by the NHS itself or the independent sector, are contracted to the NHS.

As at 31 December each year, the numbers of patients receiving NHS services for renal dialysis in England, whether in NHS or independent sector settings, were as follows: