New NHS digital exercise and lifestyle programme to benefit patients with kidney disease, heart conditions and diabetes in London

People diagnosed with kidney disease - and closely-related conditions such as heart failure and diabetes - are set to benefit from an innovative new NHS-commissioned digital health programme in London aimed at increasing their levels of physical activity, plus improving factors such as diet and lifestyle.

Patients who live in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington will be given access to a specialist app called Kidney Beam, which provides physiotherapist-led exercise sessions, education classes, dietary advice and health coaching tailored specifically for people living with cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic (CKM) conditions.

The move comes as rates of CKM conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure rise rapidly across the UK, placing increasing strain on the NHS as it deals with higher demand for GP appointments, hospitalisations and medication needs associated with the conditions.

It’s estimated around 7.2 million people across the UK have chronic kidney disease, 7.6 million have cardiovascular disease and 6 million have diabetes, with significant overlap between the conditions. Charity Kidney Research UK have sounded the alarm about rising levels, calling it a “public health emergency” that threatens to overwhelm the NHS by 2033.

Professor Sharlene Greenwood, a consultant physiotherapist based at King’s College Hospital and co-founder of the Beam programme, said: “We know that increasing the amount of exercise for someone who has a combination of kidney, heart and metabolic disease can have a profound impact on improving their health. Evidence shows that this lowers mortality rates, lessens demand on NHS services and lowers per-patient care costs, something that is much-needed as prevalence of these diseases is rising fast.”

The move makes North Central London – which covers the boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington - one of the first NHS areas to launch a digital prevention and rehabilitation programme addressing interlinked CKM health concerns, in line with an NHS England drive to focus on preventative, digital and community-based health.

As part of the programme, patients with early-stage CKM disease will be able to self-register for the online classes, with the aim of helping to prevent their disease progressing to the later stages.

In addition, clinicians from the Royal Free Hospital will be able to refer patients with more advanced disease or complex needs for extra support from specially-trained health coaches, who will assist participants in completing a virtual 12-week programme of targeted physical activity and education tailored to their clinical status.

Mark Eaton, Director of Strategic & Delegated Commissioning at West and North London Integrated Care Board, said: “We are pleased to be able to provide targeted, evidence-based physical therapy and lifestyle support for people in the area with cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic conditions. The programme will help patients get moving, improve their diet and learn more about how to manage their condition, all from the comfort of their own homes using an easily-accessible digital solution.”

“Our ultimate aim is to reduce hospital admissions, length of stay, outpatient appointments, and medication use, while improving patient outcomes - all of which will help tackle rising care costs in our region.”

Evidence from Beam’s landmark clinical trial, published in the Lancet Digital Health, showed a significant improvement in patient-reported quality-of-life, as well as cost efficiencies of £580 per-patient for the NHS. The clinical trial was funded by Kidney Research UK and developed in partnership with clinicians at Kings College Hospital London.

Patients who live with kidney /CKM disease across Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington are being encouraged to sign up to access Beam for free at www.kidneybeam.com.