UK minority ethnic transplant patients face double inequity, MPs say

NHS “inaction” for more than a decade is causing unnecessary deaths of black, Asian and minority ethnic transplant patients, a report by MPs has concluded.

An inquiry into organ donation in the UK found that minority ethnic and mixed heritage people faced a “double whammy of inequity”: they are more likely to need donors, because they are disproportionately affected by conditions such as sickle cell and kidney disease, and they are less likely to find the right blood, stem cell or organ match on donor registers.

Matching tissue type is vital to the chances of successful treatment, and compatible donors who are not relations are more likely to be found among donors from a similar ethnic background.

While there are more donors than in previous years, theall-party parliamentary group (APPG) for ethnicity transplantation and transfusion’s inquiry report says just 0.1% of blood donors, 0.5% of stem cell donors and less than 5% of organ donors are of minority ethnic or mixed background. As a result, white people are nearly twice as likely to find a stem cell donor and 20% more likely to find a kidney donor.

The inquiry found a “staggering lack of consistent and detailed ethnicity data” within healthcare systems, which “undermines accountability and jeopardises the lives of those awaiting life-saving treatments”.

Responding to the findings, Habib Naqvi, the chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said such stark ethnic disparities in organ donor participation were of “grave concern” and required “more investment from health providers and targeted campaigns to raise awareness” to build trust in the healthcare system.

Jabeer Butt, the chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said the inequalities were unacceptable. “Every person, regardless of ethnic background, deserves an equal chance at receiving life-saving transplants and donations when needed. This is a solvable problem, but it requires a shared commitment to action across government, health organisations and communities. Lives depend on it,” he said.

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Source: The Guardian, 4 December 2023