A man from south west London has told of how kidney disease destroyed his employment prospects and left him in financial crisis.
Andrew Freeman, 55, from Wimbledon, called on employers to “better understand” the challenges faced by patients as a new report warned that the condition could cost the UK economy £13.9 billion annually by 2033 without government intervention.
Kidney Research UK estimates that around 643,000 people in London are currently living with kidney disease, of which 289,000 are living with the most severe (stages 3-5).
In a new report, the charity warn that the number of people living with the disease will rise in the coming years due to increased levels of obesity and high blood pressure.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term condition that gets worse over time. There are usually no symptoms of the disease in its early stages, but it can cause weight loss, shortness of breath and tiredness.
Mr Freeman was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged 30 and managed to successfully control his blood sugars for more than two decades.
However, a routine check-up later revealed a problem with his kidney function and his health began to deteriorate.
“I started to feel really tired and had issues eating. I got to the point where I needed my wife to come to my local hospital with me because I was so incoherent that I couldn’t understand what the diabetic doctors were saying to me.”
Doctors at the renal team at Mr Freeman’s local hospital told him that he was in kidney failure and needed emergency dialysis. He did not respond well to his first round of treatment and was recommended to dialyse at home.
Mr Freeman’s numerous hospital appointments caused tension between him and his employer and put his position under threat, so he opted to become self-employed.
In April 2019, Mr Freeman thought his luck had changed when he was offered a life-changing transplant.
“I hoped that I would get my life back but I ended up staying in hospital until September as I battled three separate bouts of sepsis while in hospital, but I had been given a second chance at life. I wanted to seize it and make the most of life after transplant.”
“I had enough savings to get me through but then the pandemic hit. I lost all my clients and that’s when my financial situation started to get scary. I had to support my wife and new-born son, but I wasn’t able to get the support I needed.”
Mr Freeman applied for state benefits but was told that he was ineligible as he was self-employed and hadn’t paid enough National Insurance. His family continued to struggle after the pandemic.
When applying for jobs, Mr Freeman was honest about his condition and previous surgery – but rarely made it past the first interview.
He believes that, had he been diagnosed earlier, he would not have found himself in such a turbulent financial situation and called on employers to “understand the challenges that kidney patients face both physically and financially”.
“Many patients need support like I did but are unfortunately let down all too often,” he added.
Kidney patients require frequent hospital appointments and invasive treatments, impacting both quality of life and productivity. The disease costs the NHS £6.4 billion every year.
In their report, Kidney Research UK calculate that kidney disease accounts for 3.2 per cent of total NHS spending across the four UK nations.
A total of 30,000 adults and children are currently on dialysis, taking “existing NHS capacity to its limits”, according to the charity. Modelling suggests the number of people in need of treatment could rise to as much as 143,000 by 2033 – meaning existing capacity would need to grow by almost 400 per cent to meet essential demand.
Sandra Currie, chief executive of Kidney Research UK said: “These figures are a stark warning, kidney disease has reached the point of being a public health emergency for the UK and unless serious action is taken, the NHS risks being overwhelmed with demand.”
