Nearly 80 renal patients at Stevenage’s Lister Hospital were put forward for a kidney transplant last year - an 18 per cent increase on 2016.

Doctor Sarah Fluck, the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust’s clinical lead for renal transplantation, said: “A kidney transplant can transform the life of a patient with kidney failure, which is why I want to thank the generosity of our donors and their families.

“This is a fantastic achievement by the renal transplant team and has been made possible through positive and strong relationships with our patients and the transplant centres we work with, as well as the commitment and dedication of staff in the Lister’s renal department.”

Patients who may need a kidney transplant are assessed by a nephrologist, who will decide if they are healthy enough to receive a new kidney and if the benefits of a transplant outweigh the risks. If a transplant is the best option, the patient is referred to the transplant team for tests.

In May 2014, Scott Morgan began to experience painful cramps all over his body after playing football one afternoon.

Blood tests following a trip to his GP revealed he was in the early stages of kidney failure.

Scott said: “My blood pressure was incredibly high and I was very dehydrated, so they kept me in hospital for a week.

“My kidneys weren’t in a good way and the doctors weren’t sure what the cause was, but they think it was due to hypertension. I was soon told I would need either dialysis or a kidney transplant from a live donor.”

Scott’s sister-in-law, Vicki Allan-Smith, donated one of her kidneys to him.

Vicki, a nurse, said: “I used to work in Lister’s renal unit, so I knew how much a transplant would change Scott’s life.

“The transplant team were fantastic and all the tests to see if I was a suitable donor took place at Lister, which was easy and convenient. The whole process took a year, which was just a few weeks before Scott would have needed to start dialysis.”

The operation took place at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, one of the UK’s transplant centres.

Scott said: “I was able to return to work just a few months after the operation, and I still keep active and play football.”

Vicki said: “I left hospital a few days after the operation and was able to go back to work three or four weeks later. Everything went so smoothly. We’re very lucky to have the NHS.”