Kidney patient innovations at Derriford

The renal unit at Derriford Hospital has joined in a national project to encourage kidney patients to play a more active role in their own health care.

The unit has also appointed an Acute Kidney Nurse – a new role at Derriford.

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is now one of 23 in the UK involved in the innovative Transforming Participation in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Programme – Think Kidneys.

The ‘Think Kidneys’ new and innovative programme has been established by NHS England and the UK Renal Registry, and will enable clinicians and care teams to work in 50:50 partnership with patients living with CKD, as well as their families and carers. The idea is to help patients develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to actively self-manage their care.

Emma O’ Hart is the new Acute Kidney Nurse. She said: “Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) has a significant impact on patient’s lives. It is estimated that the additional cost of AKI is in the region of £500 million a year to the NHS.

“On a daily basis there would be about 50 patients in Derriford with AKI. The Acute Kidney Programme in our hospital is all about providing education to our hospital staff about AKI awareness and prevention and educating patients about how they can care for themselves at home and how they may prevent this in the future.”

Wai Tse, Consultant Nephrologist and Service Line Lead, Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust, explained: “Currently the Trust delivers all its outpatient renal dialysis services through a main hub unit at Estover, two miles Derriford. There are satellite units in Torbay, Bodmin, Launceston and Kingsbridge. These satellite units offer a patient centred service, and patient feedback has been unanimously positive, reporting an enhanced experience.

“We also provide Inpatient haemodialysis in an acute unit within Mayflower ward. About 60 to 75 new patients begin renal replacement therapy each year and, in the last financial year, 60 renal transplants were carried out.”

The South West Transplant Centre (SWTC) is a regional transplant service covering the areas of Cornwall, Plymouth and Exeter and led by Mr Jamie Barwell, Consultant Vascular and Transplant Surgeon and Dr Peter Rowe, Consultant Nephrologist and Senior Clinical Lecturer, for Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

More than 1300 kidney transplants have been carried out at the SWTC since it opened in 1977, with a success rate of about 90%. There are now more than 600 patients in the peninsula with working kidney transplants. Plymouth has the lowest waiting list nationally and the average time to being transplanted after listing is eighteen months.

The South West has the highest proportion of the population on the National Organ Donor Register (30%).