Research celebration at Holyrood
Rosie Loft | 21 November 2016
Kidney Research UK’s report Renal research: from a pioneering past to a positive future for kidney patients reached the Scottish Parliament this month, with a special reception taking place to mark the achievements of renal research in Scotland. Kidney patients and their families rubbed shoulders with Members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs), healthcare professionals and renal researchers, sharing experiences and ideas about helping research to progress. The event was hosted by Sandra White, MSP, a long-standing supporter of Kidney Research UK.
The report highlights groundbreaking research taking place in Scotland and around the UK, and explains how government can help support the new UK Renal Research Strategy. This strategy sets out the renal community’s vision of how the challenges facing renal research should be tackled in a collaborative manner in order to help kidney patients live longer, healthier lives.
The report and its accompanying Scotland supplement focuses on the scale of the ‘kidney problem’, with around 175,000 people in Scotland living with a kidney impairment of some sort and 5,000 people on renal replacement therapy (dialysis or transplant).
Speakers at the reception included Claire Haughey MSP, Deputy Convenor of the Health and Sport Committee, who welcomed the report and the opportunity to explore how to drive forward measures to support renal research, saying: “With the prevalence of kidney failure continuing to increase in recent years, it’s crucial to take stock of recent advances whilst looking at the challenges on the horizon which we need to overcome. Health research is one of our country’s key strengths and it’s absolutely essential that we utilise this national resource to its fullest…The Scottish Government have committed to increasing levels of investment so that our health and care services are able to continually evolve and take advantage of the latest advances in medical research. And renal research has an important part to play in helping us achieve our commitments.”
Kidney Research UK has invested £9.5m in renal research in Scotland over the last 30 years, helping to develop the careers of individual researchers and to fund many project grants. This large sum reflects the quality of the researchers in Scotland and the universities supporting them. Jeremy Hughes, Professor of Experimental Nephrology at the University of Edinburgh and chair of Kidney Research UK’s Research Grants Committee said: “Kidney Research UK invests in people, because people make things happen. The charity is utterly driven, totally committed to a) raising money and b) spending that money in the best way to try and drive forward research and help patients.”
Patient speakers Jelina Berlow-Rahman, Elaine Sherlock and Jim Hayton brought the personal perspective to the event. Jelina detailed her journey from diagnosis as a teenager, to pursuing a career as a human rights lawyer and the experience of undergoing a transplant. Brother and sister Jim and Elaine – both transplant recipients too – shared their story and their efforts to find genetic answers to their family situation.
The event was the latest in a series of high profile receptions highlighting the report. “We are very grateful to all the people who have helped us bring our ‘Pioneering Past’ report to life at our parliamentary events this year, particularly the researchers who have captivated our guests with their fascinating work and the patients who have touched our audiences with their moving and personal stories,” commented Peter Storey, Director of Communications at Kidney Research UK. “These events have generated great opportunities for Kidney Research UK to step up our influence on public policy and to bring about real change for kidney patients in the years to come. We are very excited by the work that lies ahead.”