Kidney Research UK has highlighted the need for more Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) organ donors – new figures released for 2015/16 indicate that BAME patients waiting for kidney transplantation has risen to 33% of all patients, yet only 5.8% of the organ donation register is made up of people from minority ethnic communities
According to latest data from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean, Chinese and African ethnicities are the most poorly represented on the organ donation register relative to the current UK population and, while overall consent rates have risen, there remains a significant gap between minority ethnic communities and the proportion of white families agreeing to donate. The implication of this is a widening negative gap for a BAME patient to potentially receive a lifesaving transplant.
There are 1,686 Black and Asian patients waiting for a new kidney in the UK today, but with waiting times up to 200 days longer than for white people, some patients die waiting or suffer lasting damage to their health while on dialysis. When patients’ wishes about organ donation are known by their families, consent rate increases to 90%. This is more important than ever for BAME patients, as only 34% of families currently consent to organ donation. Kidney Research UK is calling for continued better awareness and education among BAME communities about the importance and need for donation. To join the NHS organ donor register visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk
