So often people don’t realise the bloody amazing job our kidneys do, and because symptoms of a reduction in kidney function can be confused or misinterpreted as being linked to something else, many people are not aware that you can lose up to 90% of your kidney function without realising.
One million people in the UK have kidney disease right now and are not aware of it. By encouraging people to complete a quick and easy online risk checker – based on the International Society of Nephrology quiz and aligned to NHS NICE guidelines – we want to help more people realise they might be at risk, and get diagnosed sooner so that they can take control of their kidney health.
A Glastonbury's worth of kidney health checks
Since the campaign launched in October 2024, around 200,000 people have completed the Checker (this is the equivalent to all of the people that attend Glastonbury festival, or the entire population of cities like Milton Keynes or Reading)!
We’ve presented the campaign to various NHS networks, at a behavioural science conference, at UK Kidney Week in Bournemouth and at the European Renal Society congress in Vienna.
There is huge interest in sharing the campaign far and wide and sharing posters and resources in primary care settings, public spaces and public health clinics. We knew the campaign was bold and striking and we’re pleased that there has been so much support for it, particularly across the NHS, as well as from the general public.
Around 1 in 2 identified as at risk of kidney disease
Of the people who have completed the Checker, around 50% have been identified as being at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease. The primary risk factor question that has consistently received the most ‘yes’ responses is related to having high blood pressure; the secondary risk factor question receiving the most ‘yes’ responses relates to frequent and regular use of NSAID medication.
We’ve spoken to some of those who were identified as being at increased risk and have heard from patients who have completed the Checker, spoken to their GP, had their kidney function checked and have left with a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. In some cases this was a diagnosis of CKD stage 4 or CKD stage 5.
Data shows that people don’t always attend their annual health checks, and those most at risk of developing kidney disease – people with diabetes and heart disease – are not invited to these, the assumption being that any impact on kidney function will be picked up by the monitoring of their other condition. However, we also know that not everyone with these conditions is being monitored regularly.
A turning tide on kidney disease awareness
A lack of awareness of kidney disease amongst the general public, along with limitations of what can be covered in a 10-minute appointment slot, means that GPs feel under pressure. The Bloody Amazing Kidneys campaign was created to help by giving members of the public an opportunity to check their risk and the tools to discuss this with their GP.
Our Let’s Talk Kidneys report found that many GPs do not feel confident talking to their patients about kidney disease. Historically, the condition has been treated in primary care until CKD stage 3 onwards, when a referral is made to secondary care. However, with new medications like SGLT2 inhibitors and a shift in the way the public engages with their health through things like wearable tech and the growth of at home testing for various conditions, the tide is turning.
Dialysis units are reaching capacity and the transplant waiting list is at its longest in over a decade. If we can identify and treat people sooner, then we have the opportunity to reduce the number of people needing dialysis or a transplant.
This will be better for people, better for the NHS, better for the economy, the environment and society at large. But we need your help.
Resources to help support our campaign
We have two documents to help healthcare professionals understand the importance of our Bloody Amazing Kidneys campaign and the resources available to help support the campaign.
- Kidney disease and Kidney Care UK's Bloody Amazing Kidneys campaign (Word document)
- How you can support Kidney Care UK's Bloody Amazing Kidneys campaign (Word document)
If you’d like to support the campaign by sharing in your area, please get in touch with us on [email protected].