Dr Terence Kee, Senior Consultant, Dept of Renal Medicine, and Director, Renal Transplant Programme, explained that the drop in numbers waiting for a transplant could be due to more people experiencing kidney failure later in life. Elderly patients have other medical problems that rule out a transplant. Many also perceive themselves as too old to benefit. However, Dr Kee said that older patients fare much better with a transplant than if they were to stay on dialysis.