Paying kidney donors won’t solve the problem | Letters

2026-01-30 - 17:05

We need to tackle the causes of renal failure and unequal access to care, writes Sandra Currie. Plus letters from Dominique E Martin on why markets in kidneys don’t work and a disgruntled altruistic living kidney donor It is hard not to feel a certain sadness reading arguments for legalising the sale of kidneys that rely more on provocation than on engagement with how healthcare systems actually work in the UK (The big idea: Should we sell our kidneys?, 25 January). Kidney failure is devastating, and the shortage of donor organs costs lives. About 7,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and six people die every week while waiting. It is therefore concerning to read an argument that implicitly accepts continued late diagnosis of kidney disease and progression to kidney failure as an inevitability, rather than recognising the urgent need to raise awareness of kidney disease and prioritise its prevention before lives reach crisis point. Continue reading...