Coronavirus: Kidney Diseases
(asked on 28th April 2020) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of reduced kidney dialysis frequency due to the covid-19 outbreak on those patients’ (a) survival rates, (b) transplant suitability and (c) mental well-being.
An assessment has not been made and figures are unavailable.
The ‘Covid-19 Rapid Guideline: dialysis service delivery’, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), sets out guidance for clinicians to maximise the safety of patients on dialysis during the pandemic.
It contains guidance on continuing, where safe and necessary, dialysis provision at home and in dialysis units, while making the best use of National Health Service resources and matching the capacity of dialysis services to patient needs if these become limited, or the schedule is altered, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. If changes to the dialysis schedule are needed, decisions regarding the needs of individual patients should be made on a case by case basis. The guidance also highlights the importance of communicating with patients and supporting their mental wellbeing to help alleviate any anxiety and fear they may have about COVID-19.
Renal-service providers should establish a multi-professional operational team that has plans for contingency staffing, agreed pathways to ensure safe provision of dialysis, senior team oversight and clear links with provider COVID-19 planning. Providers should work in partnership with commissioning teams within the region. The NICE guidance is can be found at the following link: