Tag Archives: kidney disease

The kidney patient subject to bedroom tax – even if room is used for dialysis machine

November 19, 2013   Carers, kidney disease

Plight of MP’s brother raises questions about fairness of controversial welfare reform

Emily Dugan Tuesday 19 November 2013

It has been 30 years since Rivers Pound moved into his specially adapted council flat in Earl’s Court, west London. The 55-year-old has been on and off dialysis since his first kidney failure at 19, and his flat was one of three in the block designed with its own dialysis room, part of a council scheme to house residents with renal problems.

Then, in April, the Coalition introduced its welfare reforms and everything changed. Although Rivers’s body was rejecting a third transplanted kidney, he was not on dialysis at that moment and so the room that housed his equipment was deemed surplus to requirements.

According to the inflexible rules of the under-occupancy policy known as the “bedroom tax”, he had to find another £120 a month for this “spare” room – or find a new home.

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Diabetes care in ‘state of crisis’

May 14, 2012   Carers, Diabetes, stroke

Second-rate diabetes care putting sufferers at increased risk of health complications and early death, charity warns

 

Inadequate diabetes care has helped trigger a rise in related complications such as kidney failure and stroke, according to the report.

Diabetes care in England is in a “state of crisis”, with fewer than half of people with the condition getting the basic minimum support, a report warns.

According to the State of the Nation 2012 report, published on Monday by Diabetes UK, there are some areas where just 6% of people with diabetes are getting the regular checks and services recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice).

The report details how not getting these checks has helped fuel a rise in rates of diabetes-related complications such as amputation, blindness, kidney failure and stroke.

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