TY - JOUR T1 - The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on renal transplantation in the UK JF - Clinical Medicine JO - Clin Med SP - e82 LP - e86 DO - 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0183 VL - 20 IS - 4 AU - Videha Sharma AU - Alex Shaw AU - Marcus Lowe AU - Angela Summers AU - David van Dellen AU - Titus Augustine Y1 - 2020/07/01 UR - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/20/4/e82.abstract N2 - COVID-19 is impacting provision of renal transplantation in the UK with a reduction in clinical activity. Publicly available Renal Registry and NHS Blood and Transplant reports were analysed to model the number of missed transplant opportunities, waiting list size and change in dialysis population over a six-month period starting 5 March 2020. An estimated 1,670 kidney transplant opportunities may be lost, which will lead to 6,317 active patients on the kidney-alone waiting list, compared to 4,649 based on usual activity estimates. This will result in 1,324 additional patients on dialysis who would otherwise have been transplanted. COVID-19 will lead to a marked loss of transplant opportunities and a significantly larger national waiting list. The existing strain on dialysis capacity will be exacerbated as patients remain on dialysis as the only available form of renal replacement therapy. These findings will help inform policy and service specific strategies. ER -