Primary, community & social care

LUCID Connecting Kidney Care

More than three million people in the UK are living with the most severe stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD), increasing their risk of kidney failure, heart attack and stroke.

LUCID Connecting Kidney Care is a national Health Innovation Network programme supporting earlier identification, intervention and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Commissioned by NHS England Innovation, Research, Life Sciences & Strategy (IRLSS), the programme builds on the successful Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Chronic Kidney Disease Integrated Care Delivery Programme (LUCID).

Challenge

CKD can be difficult to detect because people may experience no symptoms in its early stages. This means it can go unnoticed until significant damage has occurred, making earlier identification and intervention particularly important.

Solution

LUCID integrates specialist management of CKD into primary care. Through this programme, health and care teams are supported to detect CKD earlier, support patients with early intervention and optimisation, and as a result, maximise outcomes, productivity and value for money.

The programme follows four principles:

  • Virtual Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings
  • Case finding and risk stratification
  • Upskilling and education
  • Ongoing healthcare management

The programme is being led by Health Innovation East Midlands and AstraZeneca.

Programme rollout in Kent, Surrey and Sussex

In Kent, Surrey and Sussex, we are working with Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to develop working relationships with secondary care specialists. The aim is to improve the skills and knowledge in primary care and expedite support for the most severe and complex cases of CKD.

Data is being used to identify areas of greatest need based on high-risk demographics, deprivation and those with high numbers of uncoded and undertreated early-stage cases. Evidence based search criteria can then be used to risk assess and identify those that would benefit from medication reviews, routine monitoring or review as part of the MDT meeting.

The programme is also supporting wider training and education and strategic development of Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic (CVKM) approaches.

Key statistics

£7 billion

Total annual economic burden of kidney disease in the UK

£2.76 NHS return

for every £1 invested.* **Based on an independent evaluation of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland pilot

Resources

My Kidneys & Me Resources

Resources to help patients manage their kidney condition.

Link

The “Leicester, Leicestershire, and RUtland Chronic Kidney Disease Integrated Care Delivery Project” (LUCID) programme update: the impact on novel kidney therapies

Link

CVD prevention: chronic kidney disease detection and management

Link

Find out more

For more information about the KSS programme, please contact Amelia Palmer.

If you would like to know more about the National LUCID programme, please visit the Health Innovation Network website.

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