In January 2022, NHS Blood and Transplant awarded the Nishkam Healthcare Trust funding to promote living kidney donation among the South Asian community in the local Birmingham community. 

What is living kidney donation?

A living kidney donor is a person who gives one of their healthy kidneys to someone with kidney failure who needs a transplant (the recipient). This could be a friend or family member, or in the case of a non-directed altruistic donor, someone they do not already know. 

In most cases, a kidney donated by a living donor offers the best long-term outcome for the recipient. Studies have shown that the average patient survival at 10 years is 90% possible with a living donor transplant, compared to 75% after a deceased donor transplant. Both options are much better than having no transplant at all. 

Why is living kidney donation important?

A successful transplant from a living donor is the best treatment option available for most people with kidney disease. A kidney from a living donor (rather than one from someone who has died) offers the recipient the best opportunity of success as living donor kidneys usually last longer than those from deceased donors.

Why do we need more living kidney donors?

There are currently more than 5000 people in the UK with kidney disease who are on the National Transplant List in need of a kidney. Sadly, hundreds of people in the UK die each year in need of a kidney transplant, as unfortunately, there are not enough kidneys donated from people who have died for everyone who needs a transplant.

Who can donate?

Most often donors are a close relative of the recipient, such as a family member, partner or good friend. However, people who do not know anyone with kidney disease, but who wish to donate, can also provide a kidney for someone on the national transplant list, as non-directed altruistic donors.

Would you like more information about living kidney donation? Visit the NHS website.