Quarter of people with diabetes not getting vital kidney check

A quarter of people with diabetes are not getting an annual check that is vital for picking up the early signs of kidney failure, according to a new analysis by Diabetes UK.
According to the analysis, based on National Diabetes Audit data, 25 per cent of people with diabetes in England were not recorded as having the urine check (called a urinary albumin) during 2010/11. The situation is only slightly better in Wales, where 21.6 per cent did not get a check during the same period.
Kidney failure is common in people with diabetes, but checking the urine for the presence of a protein called albumin can give an early warning of kidney damage, allowing people to be given treatment to help stop it getting worse. Unless people get this urine check, they are unlikely to find out they have kidney damage until it has already developed into an extremely serious health issue.
The urine check is one of the two checks people with diabetes should have every year to screen for kidney complications. The other part of the screening is a blood test to show how well the kidneys are working