The Renal National Service Framework and current Department of Health guidance acknowledges the importance of renal patients being able to travel away from their home renal unit for a variety of reasons – work, education, holidays, family visits. Despite this advice there are still barriers within the NHS that deprive some patients of this basic right.

The National Kidney Federation has found that there are wide variations in the charges units are making to provide dialysis away from base and this is becoming a barrier to patients being able to travel particularly within the UK. Something most of us would take for granted.

To help us move towards the removal of this barrier we are asking units across the country under the freedom of information act to provide us with the following information

1. The charge your main unit and satellites make per dialysis session for a UK patient visiting from another UK unit.

2. If you’re main unit or satellites do not at this time provide facilities for patients dialysing away from base. Please provide an estimate of what would be charged should a slot be available.

If you feel a reply to this request should be dealt with by a more appropriate responsible area we would be grateful if you would that pass it on and thank you for your cooperation in this important patient matter.

You will probably have seen today’s (17/9/09) headlines which report that the Secretary of State for Health is removing the geographical boundaries for GP practices. But what is not being widely reported is that in that same speech he also said that Dialysis patients should have the choice of Dialysis at a Hospital, at Home or in the Community.

It is clear that the NKF have already won the battle to get the Government on side with Home Dialysis for those that want it and are suitable.

This announcement is really good news and shows that the NKF campaign for Home Dialysis for those that are suitable is proceeding at great pace and with great success.

The NKF has already begun giving interviews to the press and media, however it is becoming apparent that many in the renal community ( mainly nephrologists ) are anti this development.

Please make it clear the Home Dialysis has been proved by NICE not to be more expensive per patient than Hospital Dialysis. It is also thought that Home dialysis enables more frequent dialysis and therefore more beneficial dialysis.

Immunosuppressed individuals should not be given live vaccines as live vaccines can, in some situations, cause severe or fatal infections in immunosuppressed individuals due to extensive replication of the vaccine strain. Examples of a live vaccine include MMR and BCG. However, both seasonal influenza and swine flu vaccines are inactivated vaccines and therefore can be offered to immunosuppressed individuals.

Consultant Clinical Advisor in Pandemic Flu Planning Room 451C, Skipton House, 80 London Road London Road SE1 6LH Mobile 07831 840022

The Kidney Patient's Forum meets up to four times per year , and comprises of both Patients and Medical staff. Our aim is to improve Renal life . We are seeking volunteers from the CAPD, Pre-Dialysis, Haemo Dialysis and Transplanted patients to come forward and offer their views.

Organ donor system overhaul call

BBC News item 13-01-08

Government advisers have recommended a radical overhaul of the UK organ donor network in a bid to double the number of organs available for transplant.

From The Sunday Times

November 18, 2007

Dutch may give financial reward to kidney donors

Nicola Smith and Aaron Gray-Block, Amsterdam

I have great pleasure in enclosing the website link for the final report of the Cheshire and Merseyside Renal Transport Action Learning Set.

Cheshire and Merseyside together with County Durham and Tees Valley were successful in becoming two national action learning sets established by the Department of Health to develop local sustainable solutions to renal transport issues which could be shared across the NHS as a whole.

Transport is a fundamental and important part of a renal patient's care but it is an issue that is consistently raised as a national concern. With the anticipated significant growth in renal patient numbers over the coming years, it is essential that plans are developed to meet the needs of these patients, including their transport requirements.

In undertaking this work, the Learning Set considered national policy guidance on Patient Transport Services (PTS) and held listening events as well as visiting areas where work has been progressing to modernise renal transport services. The recommendations outlined within the report are therefore consistent with national policy and hopefully identify all the main issues expressed by those involved in providing and receiving renal transport services.

The report summarises the findings and recommendations of the Learning Set. The interactive supporting documentation provides the detailed background to this work including examples of best practice. Web links to key national policy documents are also provided. All of these documents are also available on our website www.cmssct.nhs.uk.

The Learning Set have been invited to present on its work at a national renal transport meeting organised by the Department of Health due to be held on Wednesday 25 October 2006. We also hope that a forthcoming Healthcare Commission Renal Audit will focus on transport needs.

Finally, we were fortunate as a Learning Set to be given the time, space and support to develop our thinking in this area and I hope that you will find this work both interesting and helpful in considering your local renal transport services.

I would be very grateful if you could pass this report onto those who may be interested in it. If you would like to discuss any aspect of this work further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely
Jenny Scott
Head of Specialised Commissioning / Lead Commissioner for Renal Services
Renal Transport Action Learning Set Facilitator