Kidney disease is becoming more common and is a serious health issue. In the UK, around 7.2 million people - more than 1 in 10 - are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). If not detected and treated early, the condition can get worse over time and may lead to life-limiting treatments like dialysis.
To help tackle this, Health Innovation North West Coast is supporting health partners across the North West, including the North West Kidney Network and teams in Lancashire and South Cumbria. Together, they’ve launched a new programme called CKD Surveillance with Primary care Assessment and Notification (CKD SPAN), which is piloting using smart technology (an algorithm driven system) to find people with CKD earlier and help doctors manage their care more effectively.
This new approach has been developed with input from GPs and health data experts. It helps doctors review and update patient records more accurately, making sure patients are diagnosed correctly and treatment can start quickly to slow down or even prevent more serious kidney problems.