Sir Nicholas heard about the latest work that is going on to improve the care of people with kidney disease. At the reception, Dr Donal O’Donoghue, National Clinical Director for Kidney Care at the Department of Health launched new patient care plans designed to tailor care to individual patients.
Mrs. Fiona Loud, Chair of the Kidney Alliance who organised the event, said that kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable. She stressed the importance of minimising the risk of kidney disease by avoiding high blood pressure, which is one of several factors associated with kidney disease that also include diabetes. People with a family history should be particularly vigilant.
Around 13,000 people die each year from kidney related illnesses in this country, yet according to a survey carried out just before World Kidney Day, only 50% of people with symptoms were checked for kidney disease by their GP and nearly a third of them had to ask for tests.
Sir Nicholas Winterton MP said:
“I was interested to learn about the experiences of patients with kidney disease and the dedicated work that health care professionals in the NHS carry out to help them. The advances made in diagnosis and treatment are vital and we must continue to pursue new developments, but clearly it is equally important that we also take better care of our kidneys”.
World Kidney Day is celebrated in more than 100 countries over six continents.
Further information can be found at www.worldkidneyday.co.uk
