Today the government published the 10-year plan for the NHS in England. While more information will be shared in the hours, days and weeks ahead, these are our initial views on the details we know so far.
More care in the community needs to be supported by robust and secure data
Care that addresses the whole of a person’s needs, from professionals who are based locally and who can work together to get the right care in place, could be invaluable for people with chronic kidney disease.
- Kidney disease is very closely linked to other long-term health conditions. Social workers offer vital support in helping with housing, benefits and employment challenges, but too often health and care services have been disjointed. We hope this plan will improve this.
- Increased care in the community requires better knowledge of kidney disease across the wider workforce and continued access to specialist care, when needed, to give kidney patients full confidence in the care they receive.
Current issues with data sharing between different parts of the NHS must be remedied
Assurances will be needed that secure, accurate and reliable data sharing systems are in place and it is clear which clinical team is taking the lead and ownership of managing an individual’s care to avoid them feeling like they are being passed from pillar to post with no one taking responsibility.
More awareness of kidney disease is needed
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) costs the NHS £6.4 billion per year, with figures set to rise to £10.9 billion by 2033 if nothing is done. Yet CKD has been treated as a poor relation in health policy.
New ways of working in primary care, in collaboration with hospital specialists, can improve early identification and management of kidney disease.
Too many people are being diagnosed when their kidneys are already damaged, and opportunities are being missed to treat people sooner, when we can slow the decline in their deteriorating kidney function. Simple urine tests can detect early signs of kidney damage and get people on life-changing treatments, but they must be easy to access.
With prevention being a core theme of the NHS 10-year plan, kidney disease is the perfect analogy for why improvements are needed, and an example of how we can really make a positive change.
Digital first must not be the only way forward
Digital innovations have the potential to revolutionise healthcare but they have to be accessible to all and not create additional challenges and complications. Extreme care must be taken so that the technological developments don’t increase inequalities.
The NHS App has the potential to enable people to manage their health in the same way they manage other aspects of their lives. But the communication must improve, as without diagnosis support from healthcare professionals people may not receive the information they need. For the last two years we have consistently heard from people who first discovered they have kidney disease when they saw the diagnosis on their App. They received no context, no advice and no support and many reach out to us terrified about what this means.
- We support the call from the Patient Information Forum, Self-Care Forum and the Personalised Care Institute (PCI) for credible, personalised health information and advice to be embedded throughout the healthcare journey.
- We believe that new specialist patient outreach services could help those who are digitally excluded to take control of their own healthcare by helping them to understand how the NHS App works and how they can use it.
- The NHS should regularly consult with patients and their organisations to evaluate the usability and utility of different technologies prior to adoption.
Working together for a better future for people with kidney disease
Watch this space for how you can get involved with helping us, alongside other leading kidney charities, call for a national strategy on kidney disease. Together we can build a better future for everyone affected by kidney disease.