At least 12,000 lives could be saved every year if hospitals carry out standard kidney checks on patients, say new guidelines.

The simple cure of drinking more water could save the NHS millions of pounds a year, new advice from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has stated.

NICE says one in every six patients admitted to hospital could be affected by acute kidney injury (AKI), which kills up to one in every four sufferers.

Standard checks such as a patient having enough to drink or being on a fluid drip could make a big difference, say NICE.

Dr Mark Thomas, one of the experts who helped develop the guidelines, said: 'Many hospitals and healthcare professionals have been doing an excellent job in watching out for acute kidney injury in their patients, but unfortunately this good practice is not seen everywhere.

'The NICE recommendations give the NHS clear advice to reduce the number of avoidable deaths through acute kidney injury.'

A national inquiry in 2009 found half of patients who died in hospitals in England and Wales from AKI had not received a good standard of care.

But NHS England says things have improved since then and that there has been a big push for best practice across the entire organisation.

- Do you know someone who suffered from AKI or found sufficient hydration a problem when in hospital? Leave your comments below.