At a specially convened roundtable held at Scottish Parliament yesterday, Maree Todd, Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, said: “I very much welcome this report. We are committed to ensuring that everyone who lives with chronic kidney disease in Scotland is able to access the best possible care and support.” However, the Minister acknowledged that there was more work to do to make that a reality.

The roundtable was hosted by Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and attended by over 40 representatives, including patients, charity colleagues, clinicians, NHS staff, MSPs and industry members.

A continuation of our Ken Yer Kidneys campaign which aims to transform care and treatment for kidney patients in Scotland, the roundtable attendees heard from a range of people including Professor Jeremy Hughes, chair of trustees at Kidney Research UK, Dr Kashif Ali, Glasgow GP and primary care lead for Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Dr Samira Bell, Chair of the Scottish Renal Registry.

A huge range of topics were covered including initiatives to address the gaps in monitoring and tackling CKD strategically, such as digital apps to collect data and the importance of kidney screening centres within public spaces. Improved awareness raising, advances in research and the funding allocated to CKD were also discussed at length.

Alison Railton, head of policy and external affairs at Kidney Research UK, said: “We would like to thank everyone who attended and brought key issues to the Minister’s attention. It was a really useful discussion highlighting the looming threat posed by the growing impact of CKD within Scotland and patient testimony brought this home.

“We are grateful for the Minister’s support and look forward to exploring solutions with Government, continuing the hard work to create positive change for kidney patients in Scotland – there is a long road ahead.”

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