OPINION: Peterborough public health emergency 'overlooked' in the rush to reform care

“The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out an ambitious, necessary shift: taking care out of hospitals and into communities, with a sharper focus on prevention and supporting people with complex, long-term conditions. When it comes to the 18,000 people living with kidney disease in Peterborough, that shift can’t come soon enough.

Kidney Research UK has long been championing the vital importance of preventing the growth of kidney disease and the protection of people at risk, and so I am pleased to see this renewed focus on prevention across the NHS – particularly on conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are both causes of kidney disease. But it’s impossible not to notice what’s missing.

Despite affecting more than 7.2 million people in the UK – one in ten of us – chronic kidney disease doesn’t warrant a mention in the government’s plan. Not one of the early national service frameworks promised covers it.

The word “kidney” appears just once in a more than 160-page document, yet in 2023, independent research on behalf of Kidney Research UK identified kidney disease as a public health emergency.

This matters, because kidney disease doesn’t sit in isolation. It is what is known as a comorbidity condition – something that is both caused by and contributes to other long-term conditions. If you have diabetes, your risk of kidney failure is four times higher. If you’re living with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, your kidneys are likely already affected. Ignoring the kidneys while tackling these connected conditions is a missed opportunity – one that risks leaving people behind.

In Peterborough, we can’t afford to wait. Kidney Research UK estimates that almost 18,000 people in our city are living with chronic kidney disease. The current cost to the local economy is already significant – we estimate it at over £17 million a year – and without action, that cost will soar. By 2033, we could see almost 400% more people in Peterborough reliant on difficult and life-limiting dialysis treatments just to stay alive, far more than current capacity can cope with. That’s just not sustainable – and it is preventable.

That’s why we’re planning a new community-based kidney health project for our home city – the Peterborough Project. Our aim is to work with local volunteers – people who reflect the communities most at risk – to build awareness of kidney health and help people with diabetes access a simple urine test through their GP surgery. It’s an easy step that can catch early signs of kidney damage and trigger action before things spiral.

It’s also entirely in line with the government’s stated goals. “For those who need more intensive support,” the plan says, “managing healthcare can feel more like a full-time job than a service.” That’s the reality for many kidney patients. The plan also highlights the need to reduce inequalities and start with the communities facing the worst health outcomes. In Peterborough, we see those inequalities up close – and we know kidney disease hits hardest in communities already grappling with deprivation, language barriers and lack of access to care. That’s why we’re designing our project to be rooted in the community, working alongside local faith groups, GP surgeries, and existing support networks to build a network of ‘peer educator’ volunteers to find the people who most need to hear about kidney disease and deliver that important prevention message. With the right backing, our approach

could be a blueprint for neighbourhood care across the country.

In short, we at Kidney Research UK welcome the government’s ambition. We welcome the investment in prevention, the commitment to co-designed services, and the pledge to involve charities and patients as partners.

However, as this plan is implemented, we urge ministers not to dance around the issue of kidneys any longer. The omission of chronic kidney disease remains a serious gap. It threatens to undermine efforts to reduce cardiovascular disease and improve outcomes for people with complex, interconnected health conditions. That’s why we’ve joined with patients, clinicians and other kidney charities to call on the government to go further. We’re urging the Prime Minister to commit to a national strategy for kidney disease – one that prioritises early detection, invests in innovation, and fully integrates kidney health into the NHS’s preventative agenda. If you believe, as we do, that this overlooked condition needs urgent action, please add your name to our open letter to the Prime Minister. It’s time to give kidney disease the attention it demands – and the response it deserves."