Welcome to the Renal Services page. Here, you will find information about pre-dialysis, transplantation, peritoneal dialysis, haemodialysis and the inpatient renal ward.
Renal services in Bradford and Airedale are provided by a multidisciplinary team that includes doctors, nurses (including specialist nurses for diabetes, advanced kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation), dietitians, pharmacists, psychologists, technicians, research nurses, secretaries, ward clerks, a unit manager, an audit officer and a cultural and health improvement officer.
Our aim is to provide a high quality patient-centred service which provides the best possible outcomes for all those who require kidney care in the Bradford and Airedale region.
Our main base is at Bradford St Luke’s Hospital but the team also supports activities at Bradford Royal Infirmary, Airedale General Hospital and Skipton Hospital. We look after more than 250 dialysis patients and nearly 400 transplant patients in addition to a large number of patients with a wide variety of kidney conditions.
We run specialist clinics for patients with kidney stones, polycystic kidney disease and autoimmune conditions such as vasculitis.
We care for patients who have developed Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and/or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), including those with more advanced kidney disease requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the form of renal transplantation or dialysis.
Dialysis services include peritoneal dialysis, home haemodialysis and in-centre haemodialysis (for which we provide a patient transport service). Our main haemodialysis unit is situated in Horton Wing at St Luke’s Hospital, but we also have acute dialysis facilities for inpatients at Bradford Royal Infirmary and a satellite haemodialysis unit at Skipton Hospital. We also provide a conservative care service for patients in whom RRT may not be appropriate.
We have a renal ward at BRI and run renal clinics at St Luke’s Hospital, Airedale General Hospital and Skipton Hospital. We have also developed an e-consultation service for primary care teams who wish to seek specialist advice for their patients, and in addition to this we have established a Renal Hub in the local primary care electronic patient record system to improve two-way communication between our renal service staff and primary care teams.
Our collaborative work to improve chronic kidney disease management in primary care has been recognised with some prestigious awards including the BMJ Team of the Year Award in 2013. We have strong connections with the regional transplant centres in Leeds (kidney) and Manchester (kidney pancreas), and we have recently liaised with paediatric nephrology services in Leeds to improve the experience of our younger patients when they transition to adult services.
Pre-dialysis
Patients who are diagnosed with kidney failure are referred to the pre-dialysis team, who are based at St Luke’s Hospital on ward F8 but travel throughout the district.
Clinics are held on:
- Monday – Skipton
- Wednesday – Bradford
- Alternate Thursdays – Airedale General Hospital
Being diagnosed with kidney failure can be frightening and overwhelming. The pre-dialysis team aim to support patients through this difficult time and o help them make sense of what is happening.
A holistic approach can ensure that a patient’s decision-making is informed and based on clinical and emotional need.
Symptoms of renal failure include:
- Tiredness
- Swelling of the face and limbs
- High blood pressure
- Feeling cold
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Forgetfulness
- Food aversions
- Itching and cramping
- Sexual changes
- Pigmentation changes to the skin
Home visits can be organised to discuss treatment options and put together a care plan.
We offer five treatment choices. Treatment will be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Haemodialysis – As an outpatient at St Luke’s Hospital.
Home haemodialysis – Training is given to the patient to manage their own dialysis via a fistula in their home.
Peritoneal dialysis – A tube is permanently inserted into the peritoneal space in the abdomen. Fluid is instilled into the peritoneum and, after a period of time, drained out. This can be done manually or by a machine which is used nightly.
Transplant – Transplantation will be discussed with the patient and, if this course of action is agreed, they will be referred to the transplant team for assessment.
Conservative care – Dialysis is not for everyone and conservative care may be the best course of action.
Our area of specialist practice is in nephrology and general medicine, providing a bed base for the acute and chronically ill renal patient as well as for individuals with medical acute and chronic illnesses.
Admissions are received form multiple sources:
- Acute medical admissions unit (ward 4, BRI)
- Haemodialysis unit (F8)
- Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis unit (CAPD)
- Outpatient clinics
- Any other ward in the Bradford area if patients need specialist input from the nephrology team
- Renal wards at Leeds
- Renal services from Airedale
Our role within the Renal department is to provide support and education to individuals with kidney disease or kidney stones. We provide education about renal diets to staff members and colleagues.
We are based at St Luke’s Hospital but also work alongside the Renal team at Bradford Royal Infirmary, Skipton Hospital and Airedale Hospital. We can review individuals in clinic settings, on the renal ward, the dialysis unit or at home.
The advice that we give is tailored to each individual – no two renal diets are the same. The advice we give depends on the stage of the disease, other medical conditions, biochemistry levels, treatments, symptoms, and individual beliefs and preferences.
The things we may discuss include blood glucose control (for diabetes), weight management, nutritional support, salt, potassium, phosphate and fluid.
We have a variety of written resources including diet sheets and recipe ideas and regularly review our service to ensure we are providing the best care possible for our patients.
