Living Kidney Donation – The Exceptional Gift

In Scotland, latest statistics show that living kidney donor transplantation represents 38% of kidney transplant activity

2018/19 saw the highest number of living donor transplants and donors ever in Scotland, with double the number of kidney sharing scheme transplants (14 previous year).

The Living Donation Scotland Board met in September with a focus on the forthcoming donation and transplantation strategies for Scotland. Background work for these strategies will include the findings from a recent survey of where directed donors (those who donated a kidney to a family member or friend) and altruistic donors (those who anonymously donated one of their kidneys to a stranger) first heard about living donation:

Work continues on improving equity of access to living donor transplantation and overcoming barriers for both recipients and donors. Collaboration with healthcare professionals throughout Scotland is key to success. The recently published information pack on Living Donation and Transplantation for Healthcare Professionals in Scotland is available on www.livingdonationscotland.org. Hard copies can be ordered from Lothian.livingdonationscotland@nhs.net.

Feedback has been extremely positive for the Renal Education and Choices at Home (REACH) pilot supported by NHS Lothian, which has almost completed its first year. There are many potential benefits of home visits for patients including improved knowledge of treatment options and encouraging open discussion with wider family and friend groups. For further information contact orla.hobson@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.

For more information about living kidney donation visit our Living Donation page or:

Email: livingdonationscotland@nhs.net

Call: The Living Donor Transplant Co-ordinator at your nearest Transplant Unit on Edinburgh 0131 242 1703 or Glasgow 0141 451 6200.