Cost of living
Kidney Care UK has called on policy makers, parliamentarians and utility companies to do all they can to help people with kidney disease who are facing huge anxiety about how they will make ends meet.
Campaigning for everyone affected by kidney disease
Kidney Care UK is fighting to improve the lives of people affected by kidney disease. We do this by getting the voices of people affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) heard by politicians and policy makers, so they understand the challenges kidney disease can bring and what can help. We make recommendations for action and urge those in power to address gaps in support.
Current campaigns
Psychosocial care
Too many people with kidney disease are not getting the support they need. With National Psychosocial Working Group experts, we've developed a manifesto for action so support is available to all.
Covid-19
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still being felt by people living with kidney disease. Since March 2020 Kidney Care UK has campaigned for people with CKD to have all the protection they can.
Our policy and campaigning work is underpinned by key principles, which we believe are the starting point for people with kidney disease receiving the care and support they need.
CKD as a public health priority
The impact of kidney disease must be acknowledged by NHS policy makers and government in service planning and funding.
Removing inequalities
Access to diagnosis, treatment and support should be equitable. Kidney disease should not result in financial hardship or social exclusion.
Caring for the individual
Care and treatment should be tailored to each person’s needs and what matters most to them. It is ‘whole person care’.
What is Kidney Care UK fighting for?
People - both healthcare professionals and the general public – should understand what increases the risk of kidney disease. Support and action at a population and individual level should be provided to reduce these risks. All people with kidney disease should be correctly identified and monitored and offered prompt access to treatment and support. Acute Kidney Injury: avoidable harm related to acute kidney injury is prevented in all care settings.
Everyone with kidney disease should be offered as much information and support as they would like in order to understand and manage their own condition. Throughout their care, but especially at key points such as nearing kidney failure, people should be given sufficient time and support, including for their mental health, to make an informed choice of treatment and prepare properly for the start of treatment. There should be no cost barrier to receiving treatment choices, such as home dialysis. Everyone who opts for their kidney failure to be managed without dialysis or transplant, or chooses to discontinue dialysis treatment, should be supported by a multi-professional team to ensure a smooth transition to palliative and end-of life care.
The number of kidney transplants, from both living and deceased donors, should be increased so that all people likely to benefit from a transplant can have the opportunity to receive one. A person who receives a transplant should be given the right care and support to manage their transplant, to live well with it and achieve the greatest possible benefit from it. Listing for transplantation should be equal and based solely on clinical need and suitability. It is not influenced by ethnicity, socio-economic status, or where the potential transplant recipient lives.
Individuals should be supported to minimise the negative impact of CKD and its treatment on their lives. This means that everyone with advanced kidney disease should have access to appropriate support from a multi-professional team who can address diet and exercise, psychological and mental wellbeing, housing and financial issues, as well as medical needs. Care for co-morbidities (illnesses in addition to CKD) must be provided in a seamless package of care, by clinical teams working closely together. People with rare diseases affecting the kidney, and women with chronic kidney disease who are contemplating pregnancy, should have access to expert advice and care wherever they live and whenever it is needed.
All children and young people with chronic kidney disease should have unrestricted access to services specifically designed to meet their needs. All young people should have an individual transition care plan that ensures a smooth move into adult services.
Home dialysis reimbursement
Kidney Care UK believe that no one with kidney disease should have to pay for the additional energy costs of having life-saving treatment at home. We will continue to campaign to secure reimbursement for home dialysis costs for all UK patients.
Home dialysis reimbursement in Scotland
Kidney Care UK is campaigning for the full, fair and timely reimbursement of the additional energy costs of home dialysis in Scotland.