UK Renal Registry 13th Annual Report (December 2010): Chapter 2: UK RRT prevalence in 2009: national and centre-specific analyses.

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the characteristics of adult patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the UK in 2009. The prevalence rates per million population (pmp) were calculated for Primary Care Trusts in England, Health and Social Care Areas in Northern Ireland, Local Health Boards in Wales and Health Boards in Scotland. These areas will be referred to in this report as 'PCT/HBs'.

METHODS

Data were electronically collected from all 72 renal centres within the UK. A series of cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed to describe the demographics of prevalent RRT patients in 2009 at centre and national level. Age and gender standardised ratios for prevalence rates in PCT/HBs were calculated.

RESULTS

There were 49,080 adult patients receiving RRT in the UK on 31st December 2009, equating to a UK prevalence of 794 pmp. This represented an annual increase in prevalent numbers of approximately 3.2% although there was significant variation between centres and PCT/HB areas. The growth rate from 2008 to 2009 for prevalent patients by treatment modality in the UK was 4.2% for haemodialysis (HD), a fall of 7.2% for peritoneal dialysis (PD) and a growth of 4.4% with a functioning transplant. There has been a slow but steady decline in the proportion of PD patients from 2000 onwards. Median RRT vintage was 5.4 years. The median age of prevalent patients was 57.7 years (HD 65.9 years, PD 61.2 years and transplant 50.8 years). For all ages, prevalence rates in males exceeded those in females: peaks for males were in the 75-79 years age group at 2,632 pmp and for females in the 70-74 years age group at 1,445 pmp. The most common identifiable renal diagnosis was biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis (16.0%), followed by diabetes (14.7%). Transplantation was the most common treatment modality (48%), HD in 44% and PD 8%. However, HD was increasingly common with increasing age and transplantation less common.

CONCLUSIONS

The HD and transplant population continued to expand whilst the PD population contracted. There were national, regional and dialysis centre level variations in prevalence rates. This has implications for service planning and ensuring equity of care for RRT patients.