Renal information for health professionals

Welcome to the Department of Renal Medicine

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’s 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.

'The Renal Service staff are amazing and more like friends'

Clinics and community work

We have established other strong links with community teams through Bradford Healthy Hearts and meetings with primary care physicians, advanced nurse practitioners, community matrons and heart failure nurses.

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 also have strong connections with the regional transplant centres in Leeds (kidney) and Manchester (kidney pancreas).

Recently, we have also liaised with paediatric nephrology services in Leeds to improve the experience of our younger patients when they transition to adult services.

We perform well in comparative national audit but continue to develop and improve our service with the support and involvement of our patients, including dedicated regular forums for patients with advanced kidney disease and those who have received a kidney transplant.

Dialysis treatment

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 the 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 have established a Renal Hub within the local primary care electronic patient record (EPR) system to improve two-way communication between our renal service and primary care teams.

Picture: Lorne Campbell / Guzelian Staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital, Bradford, West Yorkshire. PICTURE TAKEN ON WEDNESDAY 16 AUGUST 2017

We have participated in a number of national quality improvement projects including the Health Foundation Tackling AKI project, the Transforming Participation in CKD project and the Kidney Quality Improvement Partnership (KQuIP). We support multicentre research and have also contributed some original research in primary care chronic kidney disease management and haemodialysis.

Contact us

Bradford Renal Unit
1st Floor, Horton Wing
St Luke’s Hospital, Little Horton Lane
Bradford BD5 0NA

Patient enquiries

  • BRI ward 9
  • St Luke’s Dialysis Unit
  • Home Therapies Team
  • Transplant Team

General enquiries
Email: sarah.coope@bthft.nhs.uk

The Renal Service step-by-step guide (hover over each picture to follow the story).

1.)

This is Zac and his mum. When Zac becomes unwell and starts to struggle with his breathing, his mum takes him to his GP.

2.)

The GP examines Zac and diagnoses him with viral wheeze. Zac meets the criteria for referral to the ACE team, so his GP gives them a call.

3.)

While still in the surgery, Zac receives 6-10 puffs of inhaled salbutamol via a spacer device. Safety-netting information is given and Zac and his mum go home.

4.)

Zac is now under the care of the ACE team and the consultant paediatrician. Eve, one of the ACE nurses, gives Zac’s mum a call within two hours of his referral to arrange a same-day home visit.

5.)

Eve visits Zac and his mum at home and conducts a full assessment. A short and long-term management plan is put in place. Eve arranges a suitable follow-up – this may be a call later that day or a home visit.

6.)

The ACE nurse completes the wheeze care bundle. This includes checking inhaler technique and reviewing Zac’s wheeze management plan. The care bundle ensures consistency and supports health education and promotion.

7.)

Zac is discharged from the ACE service and avoids a hospital visit! A discharge letter is sent electronically to his GP.