Your chance to get MPs to take next steps on kidney disease and mental health
Since launching our report into mental health and kidney disease earlier this year, we’ve been pushing away at our legislators’ doors to draw attention to our recommendations. Together with Centre for Mental Health, who wrote the report, we’ve been making progress, but we need your help to take this to the next stage.
We have secured an excellent opportunity to present our report to MPs attending the next All Party Parliamentary Kidney Group meeting, on Wednesday 18 October, thanks to the National Kidney Federation who provide the secretariat to the APPKG.
Our case for mental health support
Here we will set out our case for mental health support for kidney patients to be properly resourced so that the renal multidisciplinary team involved in a patient’s care includes a qualified mental health practitioner.
Alison Railton, our head of policy and external affairs, explains: “This coming meeting gives us the chance to look MPs in the eye and explain the unique emotional pressures kidney disease causes, the serious consequences of these pressures, and the urgent need to reform mental health support.
“All Party Parliamentary Groups are informal cross-party groups, where MPs can learn more about specific topics through invited speakers – by growing MPs’ understanding, we are more likely to inspire change in NHS practice.
“We know this topic is so close to kidney patients’ hearts. The survey we ran in 2021 showed that two thirds (67%) of kidney patients experienced symptoms of depression while living with kidney disease, with 27% of those surveyed saying they have considered self-harm or suicide as a result of their kidney disease.
“We need you, our supporters, to persuade your MPs to attend.”
Email your MP
Take our e-action to ask your MP to attend this vital meeting. Our easy to use online tool allows you to email your MP to explain why mental health support is important to you, your families and kidney patients everywhere, and includes details of the meeting on 18 October.