Evidence shows that patients who wait too long for a transplant experience poorer outcomes than those whose wait is shorter. A long wait for a transplant may result in the patient needing to have dialysis, or may prolong dialysis. This can affect the cardiovascular system and reduce life expectancy. Until a patient is on the transplant list there is no possibility of them receiving a kidney, so getting onto the list promptly is crucial.
Having a documented decision about transplant status, and early referral have been found to be a good way of increasing pre-emptive transplantation.
