Kidney Research UK welcomed Dr Zubir Ahmed MP to The Royal London Hospital, shining a spotlight on the urgent need to address mounting pressures on renal services – a key driver of inequality in kidney care.
Dr Ahmed, a kidney surgeon and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, joined Alison Railton, director of policy and public affairs at Kidney Research UK and senior representatives from Barts Health NHS Trust for a tour of the hospital’s renal unit.
The group visited a newly established temporary dialysis unit created to meet growing patient demand, hearing from patients and clinicians about how the rising prevalence of kidney disease – combined with an ageing population and health inequality – is placing unprecedented strain on renal services.
The visit follows the charity’s work on structural concern and health inequalities in the sector, including the landmark report Time to Act: Addressing Kidney Health Inequalities in the UK, which outlines how delayed diagnosis and poor access to early treatment are driving avoidable kidney failure – particularly in underserved communities.
The discussions also explored how innovative digital health tools could help ease this pressure by identifying patients earlier, supporting self-management, and tailoring treatment more effectively.
With more than 7.2 million people estimated to be living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the UK – many of them unaware – the charity is calling for urgent action to prevent needless progression to kidney failure and to close the gap in outcomes between communities.
Alison Railton, director of policy and public affairs at Kidney Research UK, later commented: “Kidney health inequality is a crisis hiding in plain sight. Our Time to Act report revealed a clear and urgent need for reform – especially in communities who are already carrying the burden of inequality. From postcode-based disparities in treatment access to under-recognition of kidney risk in certain ethnic groups, we need a radical shift in how kidney health is prioritised, detected, and managed.
We are grateful to Dr Ahmed for taking the time to meet with patients and clinicians to understand these challenges up close. We hope visits like this will galvanise the political will to make meaningful, system-wide change.”
