Employment and receipt of welfare benefits before and after renal transplantation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Employment and receipt of welfare benefits before and after renal transplantation
IRAS ID
219615
Contact name
Ruth Gilbert
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL Institute of Child Health
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2015/06/18, UCL Data Protection Registration; ADRN PROJECT 110 , ADRN approvals panel
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 4 months, 0 days
Research summary
The study aims to determine the change in benefits and employment in the period after, compared with before, renal transplantation. This is a proof of concept study that uses data from the NHS Blood and Transplant renal transplant dataset (NHSBT) and the UK renal registry (UKRR) linked to benefits and employment data held by the Dept. of Work and Pensions (DWP) for individuals who have ever received welfare benefits (except child benefits). Evidence from this study will inform future research to improve understanding of how healthcare interventions impact on receipt of benefits and participation in the workforce.
Renal transplantation is the focus of this study for several reasons. Firstly, from a policy perspective, renal transplantation is a life-saving and highly cost-effective intervention, but the limited number of donor kidneys restricts the number of transplants that can take place. In the UK, Wales has introduced an opt-out consent for organ donation in an effort to increase the number of donor kidneys that can be used after death. In England, organs can only be donated after death if there is explicit opt-in consent. Evidence of wider societal benefits of renal transplantation, including demonstration that transplantation increases the likelihood of returning to work, could influence public perceptions and policy regarding opt-out consent for organ donation.
Secondly, renal transplantation often affects adults of working age. We can therefore study participation in the workforce and uptake of benefits before and after transplantation. Thirdly, there are excellent registry databases that routinely capture data on patients who undergo transplantation, their co-morbidities and health outcomes. These registry databases have well-completed identifiers (such as names and postcodes), which are needed for linkage to DWP data and are widely used for research.REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0458
Date of REC Opinion
28 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion