Patients and charities have joined forces to demand the government takes action on the escalating threat from kidney disease, delivering an open letter directly to Downing Street. 

Patients representing five major UK kidney charities yesterday (22 October) delivered an open letter to the Prime Minister, calling for urgent government action to address the growing crisis in kidney disease, a condition that already affects around 10% of the UK population. 

Representatives from the UK Kidney Association, Kidney Research UK, Kidney Care UK, the National Kidney Federation, and the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Charity handed in the open letter to the Prime Minister signed by over 10,000 petitioners calling for a national kidney disease strategy to improve early detection, prevention measures and fair access to treatment. 

The letter, signed by kidney patients, clinicians and supporters across the UK, warns that kidney disease now affects more than seven million people, yet remains overlooked in national planning. Without a national strategy to tackle kidney disease across the UK it will continue to have a devastating impact on patients, families and the NHS. 

Among those taking part were Zahra (27, from London), Thomas Haynes (25, from Gloucestershire) and Asif Zaman (49, from Surrey). Each has lived through the realities of kidney disease and joined the charities in calling for urgent government action.  

Zahra has lived with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), an inherited condition that has affected her family for three generations. “Knowing that the government is prioritising kidney health would mean patients feeling recognised, valued, and supported,” she said. “It would show that their lives and challenges are not invisible – that kidney health is finally being treated as a national priority.”

Thomas added: “It always feels as though kidney disease is never treated as seriously as it should be. To see a government stand up and say 'we are going to prioritise kidney disease' would feel like a massive game-changer, that finally someone in power is taking us seriously." 

Asif added: “I was diagnosed with kidney disease too late. If I’d known earlier, I could’ve made choices to live better. Millions are still being diagnosed late. It’s time we treat kidney disease as a priority. Early detection doesn’t just save lives, it transforms them and eases pressure on our health services.” 

Around 30,000 people in the UK currently rely on dialysis treatment to stay alive, with numbers projected to reach 143,000 by 2033. Dialysis costs the NHS over £34,000 per patient each year, totalling several billion pounds annually across the UK. Almost 7,000 people in the UK are waiting for a kidney transplant according to the latest figures from NHS Blood and Transplant, an 11% rise in a single year, with six people dying every week whilst waiting. 

The charities warn that while early detection and intervention can delay or prevent kidney failure in many cases, services remain inconsistent and under-resourced. New medications exist to slow disease progression, yet too few people are diagnosed early enough to benefit. 

Dr Katie Vinen, Consultant Nephrologist at King’s College Hospital and President of the UK Kidney Association, said: “As the professional voice of the UK’s kidney healthcare community, we see first-hand the pressures on kidney services and the consequences of continued under-prioritisation. Kidney disease is a growing health challenge that intersects with many other long-term conditions, yet it remains largely absent from national strategic planning. We have repeatedly called for a clear national approach to support consistent, high-quality care. This letter reflects the strength of feeling across the kidney community: change is urgently needed, and our members stand ready to help deliver it.” 

The charities point to the World Health Organisation’s recent resolution recognising kidney disease as a global public health priority, and are calling on the UK Government to show similar leadership by developing a strategy that integrates prevention, early detection, innovation and equitable access to care. 

The full letter, signed by leading kidney organisations and members of the kidney community, can be read at:
www.ukkidney.org/about-us/news/calling-government-take-action-kidney-disease