Arguments for legalising the sale of kidneys in the UK rely on provocation rather than engagement with how healthcare systems actually work, according to Kidney Research UK chief executive Sandra Currie. Writing in response to a recent article advocating for kidney markets, Currie said the shortage of donor organs is devastating, with about 7,000 people currently waiting for a kidney transplant and six dying each week. However, she argued that accepting kidney failure as inevitable ignores the urgent need for prevention and early diagnosis.
Currie rejected the claim that altruism in the UK has reached its limits, citing research showing more than half of adults would consider donating a kidney to a family member, nearly a third to a friend, and one in seven to a stranger. She warned that a legal market would depend on people under financial pressure selling their organs, making economic vulnerability the engine of organ supply while leaving the causes of kidney disease and unequal access to care unaddressed.
Professor Dominique Martin of Deakin University also criticised the proposal, noting that the Iranian model often cited by supporters does not eliminate waiting lists. She pointed to a study showing 32,000 patients on dialysis in Iran, with only 2,500 receiving a transplant each year, and highlighted concerns about exploitation. Martin argued that investment in prevention and management of kidney disease remains the most effective way to reduce the supply-demand gap.
A disgruntled altruistic living kidney donor also expressed frustration, noting that despite the high number of people waiting, the donation process can be unnecessarily difficult. The letters collectively urge a focus on ethical voluntary donation, prevention, and fair access to transplantation rather than monetising organs.
