Patients with long-term conditions will be automatically referred to specialist charities at the point of diagnosis, thanks to a new government service launching in 2026, Diagnosis Connect.

Through our Helpline, we hear firsthand from patients who have just been diagnosed and are seeking support. In 2024 alone, over 5,000 people contacted the Helpline. The Helpline also dispatched over 65,000 leaflets to units and patients throughout the year. For many, the Helpline has been a lifeline during a time of great need. We want to continue this conversation to ensure that people living with kidney disease are included in this initiative. 

The National Kidney Federation has been championing for years the need for patients to have access to trusted support, information and reassurance from day one. 

Kidney disease must be recognised as a priority by the government. Recently, we joined forces with other kidney charities to write a letter to the government, urging them to publish a national strategy for kidney disease, a crucial step toward delivering the change patients so desperately need.

Read more about the announcement of the new service Diagnosis Connect here: www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-long-term-conditions-to-receive-help-from-charities

Sign our open letter. Share it with your contacts. Together, we can build a better future for over 7 million people: www.ukkidney.org/prime-minister-kidney-letter