But if we had a thousandnames and faces, a roll-call of the annual dead, then public indignation would soon put a stop to it. Because the Department of Health commissioned a report, the Renal Service Review, exploring the erratic provision of kidney treatments. The report was delivered back in the autumn of 1994. The department promised to publishit, but has prevaricated. Among European countries, only Bulgaria dialyses fewer people per head of population.
Regional variations verge on the grotesque.
The report estimates that a further pounds 250m needs to be spent, double the present sum, to save the lives of kidney patients who arenever offered dialysis. Next week the new annual contracts within the NHS take effect. The Department of Health promised that the report would be published together with new guidelines on the level of renal treatment each health authority should purchase. But instead thereport was sent to the Treasury where it has stayed conveniently for 18 months, now too late for this year' s contracts. Successive health ministers have said different things about this report.