NHS facing 'impossible' challenge to care for kidney disease patients, charity says
There are concerns the cost to the UK economy of caring for people living with kidney diseases could double within the next decade if no action is taken, as Martin Stew reports
The NHS could face an "impossible" challenge to care for people living with kidney diseases in the future unless the government makes it a long-term priority, a charity has warned.
Kidney Research UK has published a new report highlighting the growing costs of kidney disease, including the expense of treatment and money lost to the economy by those who are left unable to work.
The charity estimates that kidney disease costs the UK economy £7 billion every year, £6.4 billion of which are direct costs to the NHS, and said the figure could rise to £13.9 billion in the next decade if no action is taken.
The main factor that could drive costs up is a surge in demand for dialysis, a treatment crucial for those with kidney failure.
Sandra Currie, chief executive of Kidney Research UK, told ITV News: "The title of our report is saying that it's a healthcare crisis and I think that's not overstating it.
"We're not trying to be alarmist, we're saying if the figures continue to grow as they are now and we don't invest now in finding solutions and improving care then actually it will be impossible really to see how the NHS, even as early as 2033, can continue to provide care for patients."
The chief executive of Kidney Research UK told ITV News that the charity was not being 'alarmist' when it said the government is facing a healthcare crisis
According to Kidney Research UK, there are an estimated 7.1 million people living with chronic kidney disease in the UK. People with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obese individuals are more at risk.
Former professional footballer Andrew Cole suffered kidney failure in 2015 and received a transplant from his nephew two years later.
He told broadcasters that he was "very surprised" the government was not already prioritising how to tackle kidney diseases.
Cole explained what being treated with dialysis day-to-day is like, saying it can leave you feeling as though you are living "no life".
"For me personally when I first went on dialysis, ultimately that's what keeps you going," he said.
"People won't actually understand it, but when I say to people, obviously being in this position now, that's what actually keeps you going.
"But on the flipside it's no life because you have dialysis one day, you have it for I don't know possibly four of five hours, whatever it may be, the next day is your day to recover, but you're so tired from the dialysis by the time you have your day to recover you're back on dialysis again.
"So mentally it's tough. That I think families find it difficult to understand… being in one position one day then the next day changes and you're back in hospital on dialysis and it takes a lot out of you definitely."
Former Manchester United footballer Andrew Cole explains what it is like to live day-to-day while receiving dialysis treatments
Kidney Research UK is calling for "significant government action" to implement healthcare interventions, which it estimates could save 10,000 lives by 2033, and said kidney disease should be a priority in long-term NHS plans.
The report claims that kidney disease received £17.7 million in government research funding in 2021/22 and the charity is pushing for the figure to rise to £50 million per year.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "We are committed to improving services for people living with kidney disease.
"Drawing on achievements and the expertise of the kidney care community, we are working closely with the NHS to level up the quality and accessibility of kidney care so they can deliver the best possible renal care to all patients.
"We fund research for all aspects of health, including research into kidney disease, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research."
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