The UK Kidney Association (UKKA) has released a landmark report aimed at addressing persistent challenges in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) care across the UK. AKI affects nearly 600,000 people annually, with many cases managed outside specialist kidney services. Despite advancements, mortality rates associated with AKI remain high across all care settings, and regional disparities in incidence and outcomes persist.

This report represents the culmination of in-depth workshops and collaborative discussions among over 120 multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and stakeholders at the National AKI Summit in September 2023. It provides a clear framework of 24 recommendations designed to standardise and enhance AKI care across the UK.

Developed by a writing group of 33 experts and endorsed by organisations including the Royal College of Physicians, Society for Acute Medicine, British Geriatrics Society, British Society for Heart Failure, Intensive Care Society, the Association of Nephrology Nurses, the UK Renal Pharmacy Group, the Association for Laboratory Medicine, and UK National External Quality Assessment Services (UK NEQAS) Clinical Chemistry, the recommendations address key issues such as:

• Ensuring standardised laboratory AKI warning and reporting systems and the use of national AKI dashboards.
• Recognising AKI as a system-wide patient safety priority requiring a multi-professional and system-wide approach.
• Personalising care for high-risk patients, integrating chronic disease management.
• Establishing clear care pathways and clinical responsibility for high-risk patients, including during transitions of care, such as when patients are discharged from hospital or transferred between hospital wards.

The report highlights the importance of collaboration across the healthcare system, with tailored contributions from doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and laboratory professionals.

Jonathan Murray, Co-Chair of the UKKA AKI Special Interest Group, said, “AKI is not just a kidney problem relevant to kidney teams – it represents a common and system-wide patient safety risk relevant to all healthcare professionals and patients, similar to sepsis. This report captures the collective expertise of healthcare professionals to offer actionable solutions for transforming care across the NHS.”

Why this matters now
UK Renal Registry data highlights little improvement in AKI outcomes since 2018, underlining the need for immediate action. This report is a timely call to action, urging a unified, system-wide approach to AKI care at a moment when tools like the UK Renal Registry (UKRR) AKI portal and NHS National Commissioning Data Repository (NCDR) are unlocking new opportunities for data-driven improvement.

Next Steps
The report provides a roadmap for immediate and long-term action to improve patient safety and outcomes. It serves as a critical resource for policymakers, commissioners and healthcare teams across all settings.

Read the full report now to join the national effort to standardise and enhance AKI care.