Written question asked by Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 4 February 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 18 February 2026. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Friday, 13 February 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Kidney Diseases: Diagnosis

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase opportunities to diagnose chronic kidney disease early, particularly through increased urine albumin to creatinine ratio testing.

Answer

NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease. In 2023, NHS England published a renal services transformation toolkit to support earlier identification of chronic kidney disease and more joined up services. These changes are intended to make it easier to deliver improvements along the whole patient pathway, including earlier diagnosis and treatment, that can potentially prevent or delay the need for dialysis and transplant further downstream in the pathway.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing clinical guidance and quality standards. NICE’s guidance on chronic kidney disease includes guidance on the use of annual urine albumin-creatine ratio tests as the preferred method to detect and monitor kidney disease. The guidance is available on the NICE website.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL14306
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Diagnosis Kidney diseases
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Kidney Diseases: Diagnosis

Secondary information

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