Sunderland Royal Hospital has launched a pilot with HealthTech startup Kidney Beam which aims to support patients with kidney disease to increase their physical activity and improve self-management.
Kidney disease affects one in 10 adults in the UK, and costs the economy £7 billion annually, according to figures from Kidney Research UK.
The pilot programme, which began in August 2025, combines online physiotherapy, tailored education, and health coaching, offering patients access to physio-led exercise sessions and condition-specific education classes through Kidney Beam’s digital platform.
Aisling Barrett, specialist kidney dietitian at Sunderland Royal Hospital, said: “From a clinician’s point of view, it’s very important that kidney patients incorporate activity into their daily routine.
“People with chronic kidney disease are in a state of muscle breakdown, and it’s vital to prevent this by keeping patients independent and mobile.
“The Kidney Beam programme offers a flexible and accessible way to get kidney patients involved in activity.
“It helps patients to build their confidence with exercise, as many can be hesitant to start, but as the support is coming from an approved kidney programme it helps with engagement.
“In my line of work as a kidney dietitian, having a patient that is able to stand and cook or do the grocery shopping impacts greatly on their nutritional status and overall wellbeing.”
Through a newly-established clinical referral pathway, up to 50 patients will be enrolled in the pilot, which will run until January 2026.
Patients will be led through a 12-week intervention, in which health coaches will support participants to complete a virtual programme of targeted physical activity and education tailored to their clinical status, such as prehabilitation ahead of transplant, dialysis exercises, or post-transplant rehabilitation.
The pilot will also be rolled out to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Tayside, with insights used to inform future plans for scaling digital-first kidney rehabilitation further across the NHS.
Professor Sharlene Greenwood, co-founder of Kidney Beam and consultant physiotherapist at King’s College Hospital London, said: “Many people living with kidney disease struggle to stay active due to the challenges of their condition, despite physical activity being proven to slow down disease progression.
“Through our virtual platform and new health coaching service, we are offering patients the tools and confidence to build activity safely into their daily lives, and to better understand how to manage their kidney condition.
“We are so pleased to have launched the service with the teams at Sunderland Royal Hospital’s renal unit, enabling us to help support patients in Tyne and Wear to improve their kidney health.”
Only three out of 72 NHS sites currently offer kidney-specific rehabilitation programmes, due in part to a shortage of skilled professionals.
Evidence from Kidney Beam’s landmark clinical trial, published in the Lancet Digital Health, shows a significant improvement in patient-reported quality-of-life, as well as cost efficiencies for the NHS.
The clinical trial was funded by Kidney Research UK and developed in partnership with clinicians at Kings College Hospital London.
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