Hansard

I congratulate Kenny Gibson on securing this important debate and thank him for the substance of his contribution.

We almost certainly all know somebody with kidney disease, because it affects one in 10 Scots. However, we might not be able to identify those people, because many of them are undiagnosed. According to Kidney Research UK estimates, for every two people who are diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, there is a third who is struggling on, not knowing and not diagnosed. For many people who do get a diagnosis, it often comes too late to prevent kidney failure.

Behind those figures are countless tragedies and lives cut short, not to mention the misery that is experienced by hundreds of thousands of Scots every day—fatigue, swollen joints, nausea, breathlessness—and the many people not knowing or guessing the cause of their symptoms.

Kidney charities are clear that the key to tackling kidney disease is not in the accident and emergency department, when it might already be too late, but in the community. It is about prevention and early intervention rather than crisis management. We need annual testing for those who are at risk, such as those with diabetes or high blood pressure. We need conversations about lifestyle changes that can prevent and delay the disease, medication that will help to ease the symptoms, and technology that allows patients to receive dialysis at home rather than having to trek to distant hospitals. As Kenny Gibson rightly said, only 12.2 per cent of current dialysis patients in Scotland are on home therapies—the lowest percentage across the UK.

I have heard from patients in rural areas. One woman from the Western Isles is forced to travel hundreds of miles for dialysis when it could be delivered at home. These life-changing interventions can be delivered by general practitioners, who combine the detective work of diagnosis with a deep understanding of the local community. However, the Scottish Government has woefully underfunded primary care.

According to the BMA in Scotland, GPs’ share of the NHS budget has fallen from 11 per cent to 6.2 per cent since 2008. In real terms, because of inflation, that feels like a cut of 22.8 per cent. Targets for the number of new GPs that are set by the Government are increasing, and that is welcome, but we know from Audit Scotland that those targets will not be met.

Kidney Care UK is calling for a national chronic kidney disease framework that will set standards for good-quality care. I urge the Scottish Government to embrace that and agree to it, but it starts with ensuring that someone who is experiencing symptoms such as weight loss or muscle cramps can actually get an appointment with a GP and that, in turn, GPs are properly resourced to take the lead on the patient’s care. If we are to make a difference, the Scottish Government must listen to kidney disease patients and campaigners and invest in primary care. That will not only improve the lives of countless Scots with kidney disease but save our NHS millions of pounds in costly hospital interventions. If we tackle chronic kidney disease, everyone benefits.

I urge the Scottish Government to accept the terms of Kenny Gibson’s motion. Let us have a national strategy, let us make a difference and let us focus on tackling kidney disease.