§ Mr. Michael McNair-WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients are currently receiving kidney dialysis; how many new patients have 89W been admitted to dialysis in the last 12 months; and what is his estimate of the number of patients in the United Kingdom who would benefit from dialysis.
§ Mrs. CurrieAccording to provisional figures provided by the European Dialysis and Transplant Association, a total of 6,890 patients were under treatment on all forms of dialysis in the United Kingdom on 31 December 1986. The number of new patients accepted during 1986 for all forms of treatment for end stage renal failure was 2,647 which represents 47 new patients per million population. The target of 40 new patients per million population was set by Ministers in 1984.
It is not possible to estimate the total number of patients who would benefit from dialysis. The assessment and treatment of individual patients is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctors concerned. A total of 1,479 patients received a cadaveric kidney transplant in the United Kingdom during 1987 and 6,804 at 31 December 1986 had a functioning kidney transplant: both figures are provisional.