Nottinghamshire mum welcomes new NHS blood-matching scheme after three kidney transplants
It's as the NHS look to introduce a new blood-matching programme to help prevent kidney transplant rejection
A Nottinghamshire mum who has undergone three kidney transplants says a new NHS initiative to better match blood could bring reassurance to patients who rely on transfusions.
Laura, 36, has had more than 10 blood transfusions during her treatment and knows only too well the worry that can come with the risk of developing antibodies that could cause a transplanted kidney to be rejected.
Now, a new programme from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) will see donated blood matched not only by blood group, but also as closely as possible for white blood cell type.
The initiative could prevent around 100 kidney transplants from being rejected each year and potentially help reduce the number of people waiting years for a suitable organ.
For Laura, who is married and has a young child, the development could help ease one of the biggest concerns facing kidney transplant patients.
“I’ve had more than 10 blood transfusions,” she said.
“Matching the blood for white blood cells will be extremely helpful because antibodies are always a worry. If I need blood, I am scared I will get them. If that risk can be alleviated it will be a massive relief.”
Laura's journey with kidney disease
Laura's kidneys were removed after she developed a Wilms tumour, a type of childhood kidney cancer.
She received her first kidney transplant from a deceased donor in 1994, followed by another in 1997. Both transplants were eventually rejected.
In 2004, she received a kidney donated by her father. More than two decades later, that kidney is still functioning well.
Despite that success, the risk of developing antibodies remains a constant concern.
“When I get my bloods done, I always want to know there’s no evidence of new antibodies,” Laura said.
“Antibodies and rejection are always in the back of our minds.”
How the new blood-matching system could help
Around two in five kidney transplant patients require blood transfusions before or after their transplant.
Although transfusions can be lifesaving, they can cause some patients to develop antibodies. If those antibodies react against a transplanted kidney, they can increase the risk of rejection.
The new NHS programme aims to reduce that risk by matching a patient's blood with the donor's white blood cell characteristics, known as human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type, as closely as possible.
The programme has already been successfully piloted at Hammersmith Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital in London.
NHSBT is now investing £1.37 million to roll it out across England, while also working with blood services in the other UK nations to provide suitable blood.
Dr Colin Brown, programme lead at NHSBT and a consultant clinical scientist, said the approach would allow blood to be “double matched” for both red and white blood cells.
He said this could reduce kidney rejection and help prevent patients spending many years waiting for a suitable transplant.
'A massive relief' for patients
Laura said the change could remove some of the anxiety experienced by people who have already undergone multiple transplants.
The NHS dietetic assistant hopes closer matching will mean patients who need blood transfusions can feel more confident that they are not increasing their risk of developing antibodies.
“This is very much a risk kidney patients worry about,” she said.
Her experience means she understands the uncertainty that can come with every blood test and every potential transplant.
The new programme is therefore more than a technical change to the way blood is supplied – for patients like Laura, it could provide greater peace of mind and potentially improve their chances of keeping a transplanted kidney.
Fiona Loud, policy director for Kidney Care UK, said the development was particularly welcome as the kidney transplant waiting list continues to rise.
In June, 7,304 people were waiting for a kidney transplant or a combined kidney and pancreas transplant, according to NHSBT figures.
Around 250 to 300 people die each year while waiting for a kidney transplant.
For Laura, who has already experienced the loss of two transplanted kidneys, the hope is that better blood matching will help protect other patients from facing the same uncertainty.
“Matching the blood for white blood cells will be extremely helpful,” she said. “If that risk can be alleviated it will be a massive relief.”