What are the key headlines from the 2025 kidney PREM?
The 2025 Kidney Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) saw the highest number of people take part in the survey in its history. We would like to thank the 17,334 people who took part in the adult kidney PREM and the 673 who took part in the Paediatric Kidney PREM to help shape improvements in kidney care across the UK.
What is the kidney PREM?
PREM stands for Patient Reported Experience Measure. It is an anonymous, annual survey of UK kidney patients that aims to:
- Help kidney unit teams understand how patients feel about their experience of care
- Show where improvement can be made from a patient perspective
- Provide a national picture of people’s experience of care
Who runs the PREM surveys?
The Kidney PREM is led by Kidney Care UK, the UK's leading kidney patient support charity, and The UK Kidney Association (UKKA), the professional organisation for the UK kidney community.
What does the survey include?
The survey was co-designed by patients, clinicians, and researchers. As well as demographic questions that cover age, gender, ethnicity and treatment, the survey includes questions relating to 13 key themes that patients have identified as being important to them. These themes are:
- Access To Kidney Team
- Support
- Communication
- Patient Information
- Fluid And Diet
- Needling
- Tests
- Sharing Decisions
- Privacy And Dignity
- Scheduling And Planning
- How The Kidney Team Treats You
- Transport
- The Environment
Patients are asked to rate their experience on a scale of 1-7 where 1 is the lowest and 7 is the highest. Mean average scores are reported for each question and for each centre.
How does this compare to previous years?
- Overall experience of care increased slightly with an average of 6.33 out of 7 in 2025, compared to 6.29 in 2024.
- Privacy & Dignity remained the highest scoring theme, and scored slightly higher, averaging 6.45 out of 7 in 2025 compared to 6.40 in 2024.
- Patient Information marks the next highest scoring theme. In 2025 it received an average of 6.42 out of 7, compared to 6.40 in 2024.
- Access remained the third highest theme with an average score of 6.39 out of 7. This score compares to 6.38 in 2024.
- Although a lower scoring theme, Sharing Decisions saw a large rise in score. Rising to an average of 5.73 out of 7, compared with 5.64 in 2024.
- Tests saw a big increase in score compared to 2024. It received an average score of 6.22 out of 7 in 2025, and 6.16 in 2024.
- Although Support was among the lowest scoring themes, it saw an increase to 5.83 in 2025 from 5.82 in 2024.
- How The Team Treats You also saw a small rise in score to 6.23 out of 7 in 2025, compared with 6.20 in 2024.
- Environment decreased from an average score of 6.08 in 2024 to 6.05 out of 7 in 2025.
- Fluid and Diet slightly decreased, from 6.06 in 2024, to 6.03 out of 7 in 2025.
- Transport saw a slight drop in score, from 5.54 in 2024, to 5.53 out of 7 in 2025.
What comments did people make?
As with previous years, the most prominent theme was related to How the Kidney Team Treats You. These comments were predominantly positive (72%), with comments mentioning specific staff roles (consultants, transplant team, nurses).
Suggestions for improvement within units which could be implemented relatively easily, without significant resource or time requirement, are captured as “quick wins”. These are highlighted to units for them to implement.
How can I find my kidney centre’s results?
To see the results of all centres, you can read more in the:
If you would like to look more closely at the data for your centre or unit, this can be seen on the Kidney PREM portal where you can search the results by question, year, and hospital.
We recommend you ask your kidney team about your centre’s PREM results and find out if they are creating an action plan for improvement and how to get involved if you would like to.