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University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | APRIL 2017
Kidney transplant waits down – but still costing lives The waiting time to a kidney transplant has dropped by 18 per cent over the past five years, NHS Blood and Transplant has announced, to mark World Kidney Day. Patients now wait an average of 944 days for a lifesaving transplant compared to an average of 1,153 days previously. The news comes as the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register has reached its highest ever figure, at 23.53 million. Last year, 2015/2016, the UK also had the highest ever number of deceased organ donors: 1,364. Sally Johnson, NHS Blood and Transplant Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation said: “We’re encouraged that the number of people becoming donors has helped reduce how long desperately ill people wait before they receive a kidney transplant. “However there is a still a severe shortage of donated organs. Two and a half years is far too long to wait for a kidney and far too many people die without ever receiving the transplant they need. Organ donation saves lives and we urge people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register and talk to their families about their decision.” People waiting for a kidney still make up the majority of the patients on the transplant waiting list and the majority of the people who die while waiting for a kidney. Since last year’s World Kidney Day, 62 per cent of the patients who have died waiting for an organ transplant were patients waiting for a kidney, or a kidney and another organ. Around a third of all people waiting for a kidney transplant are from black and Asian communities. People from these communities have a higher incidence of conditions such as diabetes, making them more likely to need a kidney transplant. People from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a match.
Why it is good to talk about organ donation The NHS Organ Donor Register is a personal choice but, knowing that you could save up to nine lives, what will you do: Waste or Save?
NHS Organ Donor Card
Join the NHS Organ Donor Register today and tell your loved ones – don’t leave anyone in any doubt about your decision! ¬ www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ wasteorsave/#timetosign www.facebook.com/nhsorgandonor Twitter: @NHSOrganDonor Instagram: @nhsorgandonor www.youtube.com/user/ NHSOrganDonation
We saw the renal team go the extra mile every day, with all hands on deck. They look after you so well giving unbelievable care, they really are angels. Paul Reynolds kidney donor
Sue Moore and Sheryl Parsons receive the egg from Paul and Madge Reynolds
Patient says thanks World Kidney Day was marked again at QEHB with the theme ‘kidney disease and obesity’ to encourage people to take up regular exercise to reduce the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Obesity increases the risk of developing CKD as it increases the risk of conditions like diabetes and hypertension. The QE Kidney Patients Association (QEHKPA), members of the renal and dietitian teams and the Genomic Medicine Centre held awareness stands in the atrium and spoke to hundreds of visitors, patients and staff – even giving away fresh fruit. Events at QEHB are organised each year by QEHKPA who tirelessly support patients with kidney conditions at the hospital. When Paul Reynolds saw his sister two days after they both underwent life-changing surgery, with Paul donating a kidney to Madge, he noticed that her eyes ‘had their sparkle back’. Madge had been diagnosed with IGA neuropathy (Berger’s Disease) after falling pregnant with her daughter 13 years ago. Madge, 51, a fitness instructor from Walsall
said: “I remember the doctors telling me that if you are going to have a kidney condition, this is the better one to have as it tends to progress slowly.” But Madge wasn’t so lucky, with her kidneys soon only working at five per cent. Doctors were astonished that she had been able to function normally without the need for dialysis to clean her blood. Madge puts her lack of need for dialysis at the time down to her fitness. Up until three days before her operation she was still teaching 18 classes a week, something that she is able to continue today. Now the brother and sister have returned to QEHB to give a big ‘thank you’ to the NHS and their living kidney donor coordination team who, along with Paul’s selfless donation, helped to save her life. Handing over an eight-kilogram chocolate Easter egg to be raffled to support the living donor team, Paul said: “We just wanted to say a big thank you as we’ve come to the NHS and we’ve taken a lot and this is only really a small token of our appreciation for the way it’s changed
our lives and given my sister her sparkle back. “We saw the renal team go the extra mile every day, with all hands on deck. They look after you so well giving unbelievable care, they really are angels.” Living kidney donor coordinator Sheryl Parsons said: “Seeing Madge and Paul now and both doing so well is both precious and a privilege, and we feel part of their family now too. Giving a kidney is such an incredibly kind, generous and wonderful thing to do – and cases like this are what keeps you going.” Madge added: “I cannot fault the care that we both received from the renal team and all on Ward 305; it was truly unbelievable. The level of respect, kindness and good humour made it so much easier for us.” If you would like to buy raffle tickets to win the 8kg chocolate egg, or if you would simply like to donate to the living kidney donor team to support them in changing lives, go to www.qehb.org, or ask for Sue Moore, lead living transplant coordinator in Outpatients Area 2, Level 0, QEHB.
Recipient is back on course In September 2012 following a long illness, Tom Simons received a kidney from his wife which gave him a new lease of life, allowing him to follow his passion for golf which saw him become Shirley Golf Club’s Captain. To give something back in support of other patients with kidney conditions, the golfer chose QEHB’s Kidney Patient Association (QEHKPA) as his chosen charity, with all funds raised across the year going in support of patients, equipment and research at QEHB. A charity golf day at the club with 96 competitors raised over £5,000 in entry fees, auctions and raffle prizes – with the local Santander Bank also holding a bake-off to raise funds for the QEHKPA. Other events across the year saw raffles and tournaments raising a grand total of £8060 for the QEHKPA which was presented to chairman, Nick Flint during the World Kidney Day events at QEHB. Tom said: “We would like to thank everyone so much for their generosity and time. We are delighted to be able to give something back for
Delivering the best in care
Tom Simons from Shirley Golf Club presents cheque to the QEHKPA
the tremendous work the QEHKPA and the NHS have done for us.” Nick said: “Tom is an inspiration to all those hoping and waiting for a transplant. He has worked very hard over the past year to raise this
money for the QEHKPA which will enable us to continue in our work supporting renal patients.” He added: “Our sincerest thanks go out to him and his fellow club members for their support.”