New process for annual urine ACR checks

We are excited to inform you of a new service at Yorkleigh Surgery that will allow patients with diabetes and various other chronic diseases to test their kidney function from home.

As you know, as part of your annual review, you should have a simple urine test. This test looks at your urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR). The ACR test checks your kidney function by looking for particles of protein in your urine called albumin. If there is albumin in your urine, this means you are at increased risk of kidney disease and heart disease. If this is picked up at an early stage, you can be put on medication that will reduce your risk of any complications.

To help you perform this test, we are working with a company called Healthy.io, who provide a urine ACR kit and app that allows people to do the test at home. The test is really easy to do and only requires a smartphone and a kit that will be sent to your home.

Healthy.io will be contacting you in the next few weeks to get your kit sent to you. To find out more about kidney disease or the test, see here: https://lp.healthy.io/minuteful_info/.

Up until now, completing an ACR test had only been possible by providing a urine sample in person at a GP practice, medical Centre, or hospital. For many eligible patients, finding time to visit their practice to collect a urine pot for an ACR test, completing the test, then returning it to their practice was difficult. For those shielding during Covid, it simply wasn’t possible. Home ACR testing allows patients to test in 3 minutes whenever is convenient to them, and see results immediately displayed on their smartphone app.

Privacy Information: ACR project for patients with diabetes (and/or other conditions)

The data is being processed for the purpose of delivery of a programme, sponsored by NHS Digital, to monitor urine for indications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is recommended to be undertaken annually for patients at risk of chronic kidney disease e.g., patients living with diabetes. The programme enables patients to test their kidney function from home. We will share your contact details with Healthy.io to enable them to contact you and send you a test kit. This will help identify patients at risk of kidney disease and help us agree any early interventions that can be put in place for the benefit of your care. Healthy.io will only use your data for the purposes of delivering their service to you. If you do not wish to receive a home test kit from Healthy.io we will continue to manage your care within the Practice. Healthy.io are required to hold data we send them in line with retention periods outlined in the Records Management code of Practice for Health and Social Care. Further information about this is available at: https://lp.healthy.io/minuteful_info/.