Hansard

I congratulate Kenneth Gibson on bringing an important issue to the chamber. I have previously considered it as a member of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, which is when I first researched chronic kidney disease. I was surprised to find that 10 per cent of Scotland’s population are living with the condition—that would be more than 90,000 people in the NHS Lothian area. Despite that prevalence, it is not an issue that has drawn much attention. A third of people with CKD are not even diagnosed, according to Kidney Research UK.

Chronic kidney disease refers to a range of conditions that affect the functioning of the kidneys. It overlaps with many other conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, and it can be treated through lifestyle changes such as exercise. It is therefore right that we should look to raise awareness.

I welcome the progress that has been made on CKD in recent years, including reimbursing people for the electricity costs of at-home dialysis. Many people who are in the later stages of CKD spend hours in hospital—sometimes three days a week—undergoing treatment. Members will appreciate how that could upend people’s lives and take them away from work, their families and the things that they enjoy.

At-home dialysis can lessen the burden and give people back control over their conditions. It can also free up NHS staff time and lessen the burden on health services. However, only about 12.5 per cent of patients are currently treated at home. Given the benefit, I struggle to believe that that is a true reflection of demand. Other countries, such as Sweden and Finland, are looking to increase self-care to 50 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. We should have a similar ambition, so that everyone who wants at-home care can access it.

However, as with most conditions, our focus should be on prevention and ensuring that as few people as possible get to the point at which they require dialysis. That involves raising awareness of chronic kidney disease through education, and informing those with conditions that put them more at risk about how to manage their conditions. It also involves supporting primary care to reach out to the communities and groups that are most affected, especially ethnic minorities, who are seven times more likely to face kidney failure in their lives.

Kidney Research UK’s action plan for Scotland says that the current approach is “haphazard”, with huge variation from practice to practice. The argument for a specific policy focus is a reasonable one.

Chronic kidney disease does not have to be something that is caught when it is too late or something that takes over a person’s life. The upcoming long-term conditions strategy is an opportunity to ensure that that is the case.