Improving equity of access to deceased donor kidneys in New Zealand

Before 1999, deceased donor kidneys in New Zealand were allocated by local nephrologists on the basis of local needs and factors thought to be beneficial to graft outcome-in particular, matching tissue type. Waiting times were much longer for patients whose tissue type was different from that of our mainly white population of deceased donors. A National Kidney Allocation System was developed that improved equity of access for our unique population base in New Zealand, taking into account not only tissue-type matching but time spent waiting.