Waiting list times

There are more people waiting for organs than there are organs available for transplantation. Some people will wait a number of months for a transplant while others will have to wait a number of years for an organ to become available. Sadly, some of these people will die waiting.

More than 400 New Zealanders are waiting for an organ transplant and approximately 350 of these are waiting for a kidney transplant. People waiting for a heart, lungs or liver will die without a successful transplant while those waiting for a kidney transplant lead lives restricted by long-term dialysis treatment.

Many more people are waiting for tissue transplants, including corneas, heart valves and skin.