Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a long-term irreversible deterioration in the function of the kidneys often found in patients who also have diabetes and high blood pressure. It affects approximately 5.5% of adults and is more common in older people.
CKD is an important condition because it can contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and predispose to sudden worsening of kidney function (known as acute kidney injury) at times when patients are unwell for other reasons. Although only a small number of cases progress to end stage renal disease requiring dialysis (or a kidney transplant if possible), this is very difficult for individual patients and their families, and very costly for the health economy.
The management of CKD is based on identifying patients at high risk, regular monitoring of kidney function, avoidance of treatments that may further damage their kidneys and taking appropriate steps to improve their health. This audit was designed to assist GPs in achieving these goals.
This report details the findings of the audit programme which compared GP practice performance against NICE quality standards.
Access the report and affiliated resources here.
