FAQs

This section is designed to give you answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about kidney related topics. In addition, you can also find out about Kidney Research UK's stance on certain recent or controversial issues.

Q: What does Kidney Research UK believe could improve organ donation rates?

A: Transplantation is still the most cost-effective treatment for established renal failure and the only treatment available for end stage liver or cardiac failure. In spite of this, waiting lists for transplants of all types continue to increase in almost every country, including the UK. The only real limitation to increasing the number of organ transplants is the number of organ donors, which fell during the 1990s in the UK. Given that evidence suggests that many more potential donors exist than currently come forward, it is clear that changes do need to be made. Kidney Research UK believes that to improve the organ donation rate within the UK lessons could be learnt from the successful systems of other countries, such as Spain. We would need:

  • An increase in intensive care unit (ICU) beds
  • Improved co-ordination and training of the Transplant Co-ordinators Network
  • Hospitals in a position to audit all potential donors and to report centrally
  • Use of older donors, non-heart beating donors and living donors, both related and non-related, to be considered
  • The support of media and socio-cultural factors, which are important to raise awareness and increase organ donation rates
  • Continued encouragement for people to sign up to the organ donor register on 0845 60 60 400 as studies show that while many people intend to be organ donors they simply don't get round to signing up

 

Q: What is Kidney Research UK's view on the recent debate about presumed consent in the donation of organs?

A: Transplantation is the most cost-effective treatment for renal failure, yet many more potential donors exist in the UK than currently come forward, and waiting lists for transplants of all types continue to increase.

Kidney Research UK is committed to finding ways to increase the supply of organs for transplantation, and has long supported a soft system of presumed consent. Already present in one form or another in more than half of EEC countries, the system presumes that adults wish to donate organs after death unless they had previously registered their desire to "opt out". Spouses, close relations and/or any long-term partners would still be consulted, and donation would not proceed if any member of the immediate family would be seriously upset by it.

We fully recognises that for the system to work effectively, the NHS would need more intensive care unit beds and more highly-trained transplant coordinators (in every major hospital throughout the UK); but we believe that having a system where people were required to "opt out" rather than "opt in" would be a good first step.

Kidney Research UK has actively followed the progress of this Bill through Parliament, and has continued to brief members of both Houses at every stage. However, with the system not yet present in English or Scottish law, we urge everyone to join the NHS Organ Donor Register, either by telephone (0845 60 60400) or online (www.nhs.uk/organdonor), and to tell their family about their wishes.

In the absence of presumed consent, Kidney Research UK welcomes advances in the preservation of organs from Non-Heart Beating Donors, which give bereaved relatives time to consider their choice with regards to donation.

Q: Does Kidney Research UK believe that people should be allowed to sell their kidneys?

A: Although Kidney Research UK is keen for changes to be implemented in the current organ donation system, and has campaigned regularly on this subject, it does not believe that compensating people for donating an organ - over and above reasonable expenses - is necessarily the right answer.

Donating to close relatives
When someone is donating an organ to a close relative, we believe that they should be paid reasonable expenses (such as loss of earnings) if this would remove disincentives to living, related donors.

Unrelated donations
Unrelated donors are currently assessed by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), which ensures that they are not donating for financial gain. Kidney Research UK supports this process and the payment of reasonable expenses to unrelated donors.

Q: Is Kidney Research UK a supporter of xenotransplantation?

A: Only a third of patients on dialysis will ever be suitable for transplant, but those who are eligible may have to go through years of dialysis - or may die - before an organ becomes available for them. Xenotransplantation is the use of animal organs for human transplant, and Kidney Research UK fully supports it as a means of ensuring that more people get the organ they need.

However, even if current concerns about the danger of transmitting retroviruses from the donor animals can be allayed, serious immunological problems suggest this approach is still some years away. Much more work is necessary in order to make xenotransplantation a viable option for renal patients and Kidney Research UK believes that the prospect of an abundant source of animal organs for humans with failure of the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver or pancreas is still a long way off.

Finding cures for kidney disease is the best long-term solution, but for the foreseeable future there remains an urgent need for human donors and we urge everyone to join the NHS Organ Donor Register, either by telephone (0845 60 60400) or online (www.nhs.uk/organdonor), and to tell their family about their wishes.

Q: What is Kidney Research UK's view on stem cell research?

A: Kidney Research UK recognises the importance of stem cell research in the development of therapies to treat serious kidney disease. In accordance with the Code of Practice for the Use of Stem Cell Lines Kidney Research UK expects that embryonic stem cell lines are only used by bona fide research groups for justified and valuable purposes that reflect the requirements of the HFEA Regulations.

Q: Does Kidney Research UK fund experiments on animals?

A: Kidney Research UK does, on occasion, fund research which involves the use of animals. However, all research on animals must be deemed to be of sufficient importance and there is no suitable or practical alternative to the use of animals. All our research undergoes a stringent approval process before we give any funding, and all our research projects involving animals are licenced by the Home Office.

Kidney Research UK's Policy on the Use of Animals in Research:

Animal experimentation is essential for some types of biomedical research and the process is regulated by law. All research projects involving the use of animals are licensed by the Home Office and all the researchers and the procedures on which the experiments are performed must also be licensed. All these processes are rigorously policed by the Home Office Inspectorate.

From time to time, Kidney Research UK approves projects involving animal experimentation when there is no suitable or practical alternative. Such Grants are only awarded when the researchers provide convincing arguments that:

  1. the research question being addressed is of sufficient importance and justifies the use of animals
  2. the use of animals is essential, and that the question cannot be answered using alternative methods
  3. the proposed experiment should answer the research question
  4. the number of animals is the minimum required to answer the question posed, and the species chosen is appropriate
  5. Home Office regulations relating to pain and distress of the animals is adhered to absolutely at all times
  6. the experiments will only be performed on premises of the highest standards licensed by the Home Office