KIDNEY patients needing a transplant could be facing a postcode lottery in accessing organs, research out today suggests.
A study found large variations across the UK that could not be explained by differences in the health of patients.
Some kidney patients fall off the waiting list if they become too ill for a transplant but, if their health improves, they can go back on.
The average waiting time for an adult kidney transplant is 841 days, but many people die before they receive an organ.
Children, who are prioritised, wait an average of 164 days.
There are currently 6,865 adults and 111 children on the UK waiting list for a kidney transplant.
Today’s study is from the UK Renal Registry and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).
