Guy's and King's hospitals are working more closely together

The renal units at Guy's and Kings College Hospitals are looking at how they might work more closely together. A meeting involving patients happened on Wednesday 29th July. Here's a report of the day written by Ros Tibbles, followed by a summary of the feedback from patients who were there that day.

Guy’s / King’s Kidney Patient Day

Held on Wednesday 29th July 2009 at Lambeth Accord in Brixton.

On 29th July 2009, kidney patients, carers and staff from Guy’s and King’s came together in Brixton to learn more about the King’s Health Partners venture and to contribute their views and ideas on joint working between the two services.

The day began with some introductory talks about the Academic Health Sciences Centre and the aims of the King’s Health Partners in advancing health and well-being by integrating world class research, clinical care, teaching and training.

What does King’s Health Partners mean for kidney patients? King’s Health Partners is a newly accredited Academic Health Sciences Centre, one of three in London, and one of five in the UK. The others are Imperial, University College London, Cambridge and Manchester.

King’s Health Partners is made up of four organisations:

• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
• King’s College London

The aim of these four organisations working more closely together is to improve the quality of care that patients experience to make it truly world class. A closer partnership between the kidney services at Guy’s and King’s gives us more people, resources and expertise and potentially more ideas, options and choices.

After lunch there was the opportunity for people to talk in small groups about current kidney services and how Guy’s and King’s could work more closely to improve and develop kidney services for patients and carers. The main points discussed have been summarised below.

Next Steps:
We are keen to get your support and involvement in the future development of the King’s Health Partners Kidney Services so, if you would like to have input into projects or working groups, please speak to a member of your kidney team or contact:

Ros Tibbles, Service Improvement Lead
T. 020 7188 7552
E: Ros.tibbles@gstt.nhs.uk

Patient feedback received during the day

Patients were asked to consider: ‘How can closer working between Guy’s and King’s kidney services benefit patients?’

The following comments represent patients’ feedback on potential improvements in the kidney services that could be delivered by King’s Health Partners (KHP).

Communication

• A joint kidney website with a chat room (www.mykidney.org is being developed)
• Emergency phone lines / advice lines

Dialysis units / clinics

• Reduction of waiting times in dialysis
• Joint 1 stop clinics to reduce the number of clinic appointments
• All patients should be able to access all units and health care professionals; establish a joint KHP dialysis unit

Home therapies

• A ‘fools guide’ to home dialysis
• More home visits
• Set up a home dialysis users group

Transport

• More ‘joined up thinking’ to improve the service
• In house transport for kidney patients?
• A voluntary transport service?

Facilities

• Internet access available for patients in all clinical areas
• More free / disabled car parking at hospitals / units
• Funding for holidays outside Europe
• Availability of food in all dialysis units
• Portable dialysis machines
• Video links across all units / hospitals so patients can access all facilities / staff
• Joint purchasing of supplies to save money

Patient information / education

• Standardised and accessible information available via local units
• Information available in a variety of formats
• Recommendations for websites
• Social work input at pre dialysis education sessions
• Involve patients in educating other patients
• Use ‘patient stories’ to inform other patients
• Easy access to advice on what to eat and drink, applicable to all cultures

Psycho-social support

• Improved access to psychologists / social workers at satellite units
• Encourage more staff to acquire these skills
• Easy access to interpreters
• Support for carers
• Continue to build Peer Support network

Self care

• A joint self care unit to enable patients to progress to home dialysis if desired
• Extend the self care philosophy to clinics

Community Care

• More local care
• More information for GPs on kidney care, could they visit dialysis units occasionally?
• Exercise programmes for kidney patients accessible via GPs
• Dialysis facilities in GP surgeries?
• Ability to use local hospitals for blood tests
• Understand that some patients prefer to stick to the hospital that they know

Customer Care

• Involve patients to establish a joint programme of customer care training for all staff