Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication by Kidney Care UK entitled Let’s talk kidneys: opportunities for early intervention in chronic kidney disease, published on 23 December 2023, whether her Department has taken steps to implement annual testing of patients at high risk of kidney disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance, Chronic kidney disease: Assessment and management [NG203], updated in November 2021, sets out the best practice for clinicians in the diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The guidance covers monitoring for those patients at risk as well as pharmacological management and referral, where appropriate, and is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng203

In addition to evidence-based guidance to support clinicians in diagnosing problems of the kidney, we are also working to detect people at risk of kidney disease through the NHS Health Check Programme. The programme, which is available for everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 years old who are not already on a chronic disease register, assesses people’s health and risk of developing certain health problems. Using this information, patients are supported in making behavioural changes and accessing treatment which helps to prevent and detect kidney disease earlier.

We are investing in new delivery models for the NHS Health Check, including nearly £17 million for the development and roll-out of an innovative new national and digital NHS Health Check, which will be rolled out this spring, and will give people a choice about where and when to have a check.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed CKD and glomerulonephritis in 2011 and concluded that a population-wide screening programme would not be recommended, and has not looked at the evidence for a targeted programme. The UK NSC can be alerted to any new peer-reviewed evidence published which may suggest the case for a new screening programme. Proposals to change or review a topic early can be submitted via the UK NSC’s annual call, which will open in July 2024.