§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest readily available figures for the shortage of matching kidneys for potential recipients.
§ Dr. OwenIn 1972 a joint committee of the Royal Colleges estimated that in theory about 1,000 patients a year would benefit from renal transplantation. More 373W recently unofficial estimates have been somewhat higher. In any case it is clear that there is a need for more kidneys. The rate of transplants in Great Britain using cadaver kidneys is gradually increasing and is now about 500 a year.