Hansard

I, like others, thank Kenny Gibson for lodging the motion. I welcome people to the public gallery tonight.

The motion rightly recognises the immense impact that chronic kidney disease has on individuals, families and our NHS. I declare a slight interest, Deputy Presiding Officer. When I was a teenager, I was going to go through some surgery and had a body scan. Through the body scan, we could not find any kidneys. However, as Kenny Gibson pointed out, the kidney is a secret worker, so I presume that because I am standing here tonight, something is happening in my body.

CKD is one of the most common and resource-intensive long-term conditions in Scotland, yet, as others have pointed out, it remains one of the few areas that does not have a dedicated policy with a real focus. We have heard tonight that that must change, because we know about the scale of the challenge. Thousands of people across Scotland rely on dialysis every single week, while others live with a kidney transplant and many remain at risk of disease progression. That demands action, because dialysis is not a treatment that one can simply fit in around ordinary life—it becomes life itself.

The NHS does extraordinary work, and, like others, I thank the extraordinary doctors and nurses who do that, but the system is under pressure and those with long-term conditions are often the first to feel the strain. For those living with chronic illness, equity means access to the right treatment, at the right time and in the right place, whether they live in the centre of Edinburgh or on a remote island in the Highlands, but we are falling short of that right now.

Rural patients face long and exhausting journeys to access treatment and people in our most deprived communities are 60 per cent more likely to develop chronic illness, including kidney disease, and face a life expectancy that is up to 25 years shorter than that of those in our wealthiest areas. As we have heard from other speakers, ethnic minority patients encounter language and cultural barriers, and disabled people face hurdles with transport, accessibility and advocacy.

The challenges are not abstract; they are lived day in, day out. That is why it is so important that the Scottish Government makes CKD a specific strand in its long-term conditions strategy. I would be interested to hear whether the minister can, in her closing speech, confirm that the Scottish Government is heading towards that and tell us when we are likely to get there.

These are not luxuries; they are necessities. We know what works. Expanding home dialysis brings greater independence, improves quality of life and reduces pressure on hospital services. Increasing organ donation rates saves lives and eases demand. As Brian Whittle said, prevention through early screening in high-risk communities has the power to slow progression and reduce the long-term burdens on patients and the NHS alike.

International examples show us what can be achieved and what we should be aiming for. For example, in Australia’s Northern Territory, mobile dialysis units have transformed care for remote communities, proving that geography need not dictate outcomes. Scotland can, and should, be as bold, but that cannot be done by Government alone. It requires action from doctors, third sector organisations, industry and from patients themselves, whose voices must shape the services that they rely on.

Chronic disease is not only a medical condition; it dictates how you shape your life day in, day out. We need action and I look forward to hearing from the minister.