Kidney transplantation

Kidney transplantation is a treatment option for many patients who have long-term kidney failure. When you receive a kidney transplant, your damaged kidneys are replaced with a new kidney from either a living or deceased donor.

Receiving and donating a kidney

  • Stage 4 CKD, Stage 5 CKD (Kidney failure), Transplant

    Receiving a kidney

    The kidney transplantation explained, from joining the waiting list and donor and recipient matching to post-transplant life.

  • Transplantation treatment

    How transplants work: information about workup, blood tests, sensitisation, waiting lists, the operation and the recovery process you can expect.

  • Stage 4 CKD, Stage 5 CKD (Kidney failure), Transplant

    Donating a kidney

    Living kidney donors are healthy people who choose to give one of their kidneys to someone who needs it. Find out how your gift could transform someone's life.

  • 6,250 people

    are currently waiting to receive a kidney transplant in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
  • 1,000 people

    donate a kidney or part of their liver while they are still alive, across the United Kingdom, every year
  • 44,900 recipients

    in the UK have a functioning kidney transplant; kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organ

Organ donation in the UK

  • Organ donation laws in the UK

    Understand the organ donation laws in the different countries in the United Kingdom and find out how to confirm your decision to be an organ donor.

  • What is living kidney donation?

    A living donor kidney transplant takes place when a living family member, friend or even a stranger donates one of their kidneys to a recipient.

  • What is paired/pooled kidney donation?

    If you need a kidney transplant and have a living donor, the paired/pooled donation scheme allows you and your donor to “swap” kidneys with another donor-recipient pair so that you both have a higher chance of receiving a successful transplant.

Campaigning for organ donation

Kidney Care UK has been at the forefront of changing organ donation laws and increasing awareness of transplantation.

Promoting transplantation in the UK

Understanding the kidney transplant process

  • Living with kidney disease, Transplant

    Preparing for transplant: bridging the medical and psychological

    Renal Clinical Psychologist Dr Emma Coyne discusses the role psychologists play in preparing patients for transplant.

  • Health professionals, Transplant

    The kidney transplant recipient work-up process explained

    Transplant Recipient Coordinator Trevene Wilson explains the kidney transplant recipient work-up process.

  • Health professionals, Transplant

    What happens on the day of a kidney transplant

    Consultant Transplant Surgeon Dr Hannah Maple talks about what happens on the day of a kidney transplant and beyond.

Donating a kidney: the psychological impact

Donating one of your kidneys can transform the life of someone living with kidney disease, whether they are a loved one or a stranger, but it also comes with a rollercoaster of emotions for the donor.
Living kidney donation: what to expect as a donor

Latest organ donation news

  • Awareness, Campaign, News, Organ donation

    Public urged to talk about organ donation as transplant waiting list hits record high, and number of donors falls

  • News, Organ donation

    Kidney donors are motivated by the desire to help other people, research confirms

  • News, Organ donation

    US woman recovering well after gene-edited pig kidney transplant

  • Awareness, News, Organ donation

    British Transplant Games coming to Oxford in 2025