UK/ Record Year For Tx - But Need 4 Donors Greater Than Ever

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Record

Year For Transplants - But Need For Donors Greater

Than Ever, UK

Article Date: 08 May 2007

A record number of patients received a life-saving organ transplant last year,

but rising demand means that the need for donors is greater than ever.

New figures from UK Transplant (UKT), the NHS organization that matches

and allocates donated organs, show that 3,074 patients received a transplant in

2006/07, 10% up on the previous year and the highest number ever recorded.  But an increase in the number of people being

referred for transplants meant that waiting lists ended the year at an all-time

high. A total of 7,234 patients were actively

registered for a transplant on 31 March, 8% higher than the same point 12

months earlier.

Rudge, UKT managing and transplant director, said: " The

growth in transplant numbers is very welcome and a credit to the kindness of

the organ donors, and their families, who make these life-saving operations

possible.   " UK Transplant has

invested in several hospital-based programmes in recent years to increase

opportunities for donation, and these figures demonstrate that our strategy is

helping more patients benefit from a transplant.   " This record number of transplants is a

tribute to the dedication and immense efforts of staff in transplant units,

while medical and nursing teams across the whole NHS also play a vital role

throughout the overall transplantation process.

" But the figures also show that more organ donors are desperately

needed. The number of patients awaiting a transplant

is greater than ever before and it is vital that if people wish to help others

live after their death, they make their intentions known by talking to their

families and joining the NHS Organ Donor Register. "

Health minister Rosie Winterton said: " Organ transplantation is one

of the big success stories of modern medicine and I am delighted to see this

increase in the number of operations performed. " However

many more could have benefited if all those who wanted to donate had made their

wishes known. I hope that these figures will inspire

more would-be donors to discuss their wishes with their families and join the

NHS Organ Donor Register. "

Transplants of virtually all organ types were up on the previous year,

although the 2,400 cornea transplants were 100 fewer than in 2005/06. In addition, 2006/07 saw a further 1.1 million people join

the NHS Organ Donor Register, taking the total by the end of the year to over

14.2 million.

Since 2001/02 there has been:

-- A 16% increase in overall transplant numbers;

-- A 26% increase in kidney transplants;

-- A 280% increase in 'non-heart beating' donors;

-- A 77% increase in living donors.

However, the same period has also seen:

-- A 30% increase in the number of patients actively listed for a transplant at

year-end;

-- A 10% fall in the number of deceased 'heart beating' donors, historically

the main source of donated organs.

The decline in the number of 'heart beating' donors - those who die on a

ventilator in a hospital intensive care unit - is due to welcome improvements

in road safety, medical advances in the treatment of patients and the

prevention of strokes in younger people.

To address this, in the last six years UK Transplant has invested

£14million in hospital-based programmes to increase opportunities for donation

and widen access to transplants for patients who need them. The

programmes include 25 living kidney donor schemes, which enable a patient to

receive an organ from a living friend or relative. UKT

also funds 13 'non-heart beating' donor programmes at UK hospitals.

But these 'alternative' forms of donation are suitable only for certain

types of transplant and they account for only a proportion of total transplant

numbers.

The need for organ transplants is rising due to an ageing population, an

increase in kidney failure and scientific advances that allow more people to

benefit from a transplant.

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