PIF member Kidney Research UK is calling for urgent action to address the health inequalities putting some people at greater risk of kidney disease and preventing access to appropriate care and treatment. Time To Act: A New Review of Kidney Health Inequalities highlights both social and economic inequalities. It says inequalities due to age, sex, education, location or lack of wealth persist, despite widespread awareness of the barriers some people face.
About Time to Act
The report is authored by an academic, clinical and patient team. It comes five years after the charity’s previous report of kidney health inequalities outlined recommendations for change in clinical and research practice. The new review exposes the limited progress since 2018, impacting people’s health and risk of disease. Updated evidence confirms some communities are still impacted more by kidney disease than others and disease progresses faster in some people.
Conclusions and recommendations
The report concludes quality of care can vary and a lack of focus on some groups in research studies means that their needs and experiences are overlooked. It makes a series of recommendations including progressing inequalities strategies that focus on relevance and accessibility. The report also emphasises the importance of prioritising the experiences of children, young people and their families.
Read the full report via the Kidney Research UK website here.