Two years to get on kidney waiting list

PATIENTS who need a kidney transplant face a two-year wait just to get on the waiting list because of the dramatic fall-off in the number of procedures.

Irish Kidney Association chief executive Mark Murphy said the dialysis capacity cannot meet the growing demand. He also warned the number of people on dialysis would double in the next five years.

Of the 1,300 people on dialysis, 450 are awaiting a transplant. However, it can take up to two years just to get on the waiting list.