Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has conducted an equality impact assessment on the impact of the rise in the cost of living on kidney dialysis patients undertaking dialysis in their own home.

No specific equality impact assessment has been conducted. Provisions are in place for patients receiving haemodialysis treatment at home to be reimbursed for additional direct energy costs as a result of their treatment. NHS England meets these additional direct utility costs through the payment of the national tariff to the patient’s usual dialysis provider. The amount reimbursed by the patient’s provider is expected to match increases in energy unit prices.

We are working with NHS England to implement the Renal Services Transformation Programme, which aims to reduce unwarranted variation in both the quality and accessibility of renal care, including home dialysis treatment. One of the strategic priorities of the Transformation Programme is ensuring equity of access, by understanding and addressing long-known health inequalities.