Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the kidney allocation system takes into account the risk of kidney-failure-related valvular heart disease progressing during the waiting period to the point of making a patient unsuitable for transplantation.

The national Kidney Advisory Group, made up of clinicians and patients, advises on the allocation process to ensure it is equitable for all United Kingdom patients. There are no current plans to prioritise patients with valvular disease, although the group regularly reviews the available evidence and adjusts its recommendations accordingly. Further information is available at the following links:

https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/39530/nhsbt-kidney-annual-report-2025-26.pdf#page=111&zoom=100,72,113

https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/39493/pol186.pdf