Nigel B and the CLAHRC: Top of the Pops

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Nigel Brunskill and the Leicester Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care responded in typical fashion to the bitter disappointment in Baku, Azerbaijan earlier in the year when that other son of Leicester, Engelbert Humperdinck came 25^th place out of 26 with only 12 points in the Eurovision Song Contest. I never even knew Azerbaijan had ambitions to be part of Europe! In a successful strategy to restore local and indeed national pride, Nigel and his colleagues  composed, arranged, practiced and performed the now cult pop video “Kidney Disease – It’s Chronic" which went on to win the NHIR media competition. 

Like  Engelbert’s first single “I’ll never fall in love again", “kidney disease – its Chronic" has been an instant success and it too is based on organ dysfunction – kidney damage or reduced renal excretory function in Nigel’s song, cardiac problems or a broken heart in Engelbert’s. That is really, where the analogy ends – Nigel’s song is full of hope and describes an easy to use software package that primary care clinicians and practice mangers can use to identify and improve the management of people with kidney disease. It paints a bright future of clinically credible, primary care lead audit where data extraction is based on routine queries of electronically held data and where the focus is on quality improvement personalised to the individual and understandable by our public.

As you, hum “Kidney Disease – its chronic" going about your last minute Christmas shopping and next Tuesday on Christmas morning as the turkey is being prepared. Do spare a thought, and for the religiously inclined perhaps a prayer, for Engelbert now Nigel B and the CLAHRC have knocked him off his perch  but don’t be completely taken in by Nigel’s crooning – remember its not always chronic and that Acute Kidney Injury is the World Kidney Day theme for 2013. I also hear Nigel is resisting calls to follow further in Engelbert’s footsteps and represent his country until the missing millions with CKD have been identified and are receiving management, which magnanimously Nigel points out is as much about reducing cardiac risk such as that  highlighted by Engelbert over a half century before as delaying and preventing progression of kidney disease.