NKF Campaigns Zone:
Government & Parliament

Answers to Parliamentary Questions

Written Answer - 22 July 2009

Kidneys: Health Education

Mrs Dean

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on research into (a) chronic kidney disease, (b) acute kidney injury, (c) kidney cancer, (d) dialysis, (e) end-of-life care for kidney patients and (f) other kidney disease in each of the last three years; and how much it plans to spend on such research in 2009. [284484]

GILLIAN MERRON

Both the Department and the Medical Research Council support kidney disease research. Available annual expenditure data are shown in the following table.

The National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) clinical research network is currently supporting 38 studies concerned with renal disease.

Mrs Dean

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what health education programmes his Department has initiated in the last 12 months to raise the level of public awareness of chronic kidney disease; and what further such programmes are planned in the next 12 months. [284485]

ANN KEEN

Awareness of the risk of chronic kidney disease is being raised as part of the NHS Health Checks programme and we are also developing a patient information leaflet on identifying unhealthy kidneys, which could lead to earlier identification of chronic kidney disease. This information will be made widely available.

There is also information on “knowing the symptoms of kidney disease” including a self-assessment tool on the NHS Choices website which can be found at:
www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Kidneydisease.aspx

Mrs Dean

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2009, Official Report, column 868W, on kidneys: health education,

1. what plans he has to consult (a) patients and (b) clinicians prior to the publication of his Department's information leaflet on identifying unhealthy kidneys; and what plans he has to ensure the wide availability and distribution of the leaflet; [288462]
2. when he plans to publish the patient information leaflet on identifying unhealthy kidneys; and what plans he has to publicise its launch. [288463]

ANN KEEN

The patient information leaflet on proteinuria is being developed in partnership with clinicians and patients. This is to be part of a pack of information on proteinuria testing already published on the Department's website for general practitioners and laboratories.
This can be found at:

• www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Secondarycare/Pathology/DH_096049

We are in the process of determining how best to promote the leaflet widely before publication by early autumn.