Concerns around a lack of transparency in the way the Scottish government decides which medical conditions are given clinical priority status and condition-specific improvement plans will be put to the health secretary.

Members of the parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee this morning agreed to seek clarity from Scotland’s health secretary as to why a condition that affects an estimated 600,000 Scots is not already considered a clinical priority.

It comes as the committee considers a petition, lodged by Edinburgh-based Professor of Experimental Nephrology Jeremy Hughes on behalf of national charity Kidney Research UK, calling on MSPs to urge the government to make chronic kidney disease (CKD) a clinical priority.

CKD is a long-term condition where the kidneys do not work effectively.

There is no cure though, if the condition is detected early enough, treatment can slow or halt its progression.

If CKD progresses, the only treatment options for patients are dialysis or a transplant.

In his petition – which has now received more than 1,200 signatures – Professor Hughes explains conditions bestowed clinical priority status, like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, receive dedicated civil service support in policy development and delivery.

Professor Hughes says CKD affects, or is a risk factor for, a similar number of people in Scotland as these conditions but does not have the same visibility or ministerial support to drive the changes needed in awareness, diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes.

The criteria for choosing which conditions are designated priorities are also unclear, he explains, after being told by the government that it does not currently intend to increase the number of health strategies for individual conditions.

At a meeting of the committee today, Maurice Golden MSP suggested the committee writes to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray to better understand why this is the case:

“I think we should write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care to highlight the petitioner’s submission and seek information on the criteria for determining clinical priorities, and also an explanation as to why CKD is not already designated a clinical priority.

“And also to request further detail on the Scottish government’s decision not to increase the number of health strategies for individual conditions, including CKD.”

Committee convener Jackson Carlaw MSP agreed this will address “two perfectly legitimate questions” raised by the petitioner: why there isn’t already an action plan for CKD and what the criteria is that determines there won’t be any more action plans.

healthandcare.scot is pleased to be working in partnership with Kidney Research UK in Scotland through our communications consultancy, Ettrickburn.

Read more: Investigating inequalities in kidney care; Renal research needed to advance care, says nurse; Eye provides a window to kidney health;

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