The UK Kidney Association (UKKA) has submitted a detailed response to the Department of Health & Social Care’s call for evidence to inform England’s forthcoming 10-Year Workforce Plan. The call for evidence supports the wider Fit for the Future – 10-Year Health Plan, which sets out three major national shifts: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.
Our submission reflects the experience of the kidney community in delivering these approaches in practice.
"We received a fantastic response to our call for examples of excellence and innovation in the modern kidney workforce. Thank you to everyone who contributed; these examples formed the basis of the evidence section of our reply." - Katie Vinen and Clare Morlidge, UKKA Presidents
What we highlighted
The UKKA response sets out the workforce skills required to support prevention, early kidney disease, complex immunological and genetic conditions, dialysis and transplantation pathways, and the needs of an increasingly older and frailer population. It also reflects core themes of the 10-Year Health Plan, including:
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strengthening community-based care and supporting earlier intervention
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expanding digital capability across clinical teams
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improving patient education and shared decision-making
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addressing inequalities in access and outcomes
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supporting staff development, career pathways and multi-professional practice
Examples from the kidney community
The submission showcases multiple projects aligned with the Plan’s three system shifts, including:
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digital patient education tools such as Kidney Beam, My Kidneys & Me, My Renal Care and large-scale CKD webinars
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integrated primary–secondary care models including LUCID, using shared data and risk prediction
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national home dialysis improvement work through DAYLife, supporting shared care and patient involvement
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community case finding and culturally aligned engagement through the HIDDEN-CKD programme
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pharmacist-led virtual CKD clinics and multimorbidity-focused medicines optimisation models
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training and upskilling initiatives for kidney nurses, pharmacists, primary care teams and professionals supporting older and frailer patients
Future workforce considerations
The response draws on UK Renal Registry data and network-level modelling to highlight:
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the disproportionate impact of kidney disease on deprived and ethnic minority groups
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rising demand linked to population ageing and complexity
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projected dialysis need and the workforce impact of prevention, home therapies and transplantation
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gaps in supportive care services and training in frailty and advanced kidney care
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opportunities for digital infrastructure and emerging technologies to support clinical teams
The UKKA submission ensures that the kidney community’s needs and expertise are represented as the national 10-Year Workforce Plan is developed.