Digital Well being Pitchfest finalist Kidney Beam’s digital rehabilitation and self-management platform has been beneficial by Well being Know-how Wales (HTW) for individuals dwelling with persistent kidney illness.
Kidney Beam’s digital platform presents stay and on-demand train, schooling, and wellbeing periods led by renal physiotherapists and train professionals.
HTW, an impartial nationwide physique which assesses well being and care applied sciences, beneficial that the service ought to be routinely adopted as an intervention for adults dwelling with persistent kidney illness throughout Wales.
Sandra Currie, chief govt of Kidney Analysis UK, mentioned: “This information is vastly welcome, significantly as we all know the speed of progress of the kidney illness inhabitants threatens to overwhelm the NHS and cost-effective interventions like Kidney Beam are wanted to assist extra sufferers keep nicely for longer.
“With HTW approval secured, we now urge commissioners to tackle these suggestions and empower renal professionals in Wales to refer their sufferers to Kidney Beam as a matter in fact, in order that it turns into embedded into the usual mannequin of care.”
Kidney illness impacts one in 10 adults within the UK, and prices the financial system £7 billion yearly, based on figures from Kidney Analysis UK.
The app, which is designed to enhance private care and enhance entry for sufferers who could wrestle to entry in-person rehabilitation, options greater than 350 lessons, a weekly stay class schedule, a number of programmes designed for various illness phases, plus a renal rehab intervention developed by Kings School Hospital.
HTW’s impartial evaluation discovered Kidney Beam to be an economical addition to current companies, and highlighted the enhancements it brings to high quality of life, affected person activation, and bodily operate by bringing rehabilitation remotely into sufferers’ houses.
The choice was knowledgeable by analysis funded by Kidney Analysis UK and led by King’s School Hospital NHS Belief, which confirmed enhancements in sufferers’ high quality of life, bodily operate and psychological well being.
Professor Sharlene Greenwood, co-founder of Kidney Beam, mentioned: “This can be a milestone for kidney care in Wales. HTW’s impartial evaluation recognises that digital rehabilitation may be delivered safely, at scale and with impression.
“We sit up for partnering with NHS Wales to assist extra individuals stay nicely with persistent kidney illness.”
Kidney Beam was considered one of six revenue-generating startups to achieve the ultimate of the Pitchfest competitors at Digital Well being Rewired in March 2024 and went on to announce £610,000 in seed funding in January 2025.
In September 2025, Digital Well being Information reported that Sunderland Royal Hospital had launched a pilot with Kidney Beam, which goals to assist sufferers with kidney illness to extend their bodily exercise and enhance self-management.
Solely three out of 72 NHS websites presently supply kidney-specific rehabilitation programmes, due partly to a scarcity of expert professionals.
