Overview

• Researchers analysed UK Renal Registry and NHS Blood and Transplant data from 1996 to 2020 and found girls were 12% less likely, children from the poorest backgrounds 33% less likely and Black children 19% less likely to be placed on kidney transplant waiting lists.
• Once children are listed, gender and income gaps largely close but Black children continue to experience significantly lower living donor transplant rates within two years.
• NHS Blood and Transplant officials confirmed equitable organ allocation after listing and highlighted a critical shortage of donors from Black and Asian communities.
• Kidney Care UK and academic leaders are urging earlier referrals, culturally tailored education, stronger family support and clinician bias training to tackle systemic barriers in the transplant pathway.
• Experts warn that these gaps at referral and donor stages undermine the NHS’s universal care mandate and heighten risks for children with kidney failure.