Chronic Kidney Disease HIT successes in 2015-16

Dr Udaya Udayaraj gives an update on the work of the Chronic Kidney Disease Health Integration Team over the last year.

The Chronic Kidney Disease Health Integration Team (CKD HIT) is a team of clinical
staff and patients, working together to improve outcomes and care for people
with kidney disease. Up to 13 per cent of the UK adult population is affected
by chronic kidney disease.

We have been setting up a telephone clinic for CKD and
kidney transplant patients, to provide more convenient care requiring less
travel. We are working with NIHR CLAHRC West on a feasibility study for the
service and to evaluate its financial savings, patient satisfaction and carbon
footprint. Support from the West of England AHSN is helping us to deliver the
project.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is sudden damage to the kidneys
that disrupts their function. The estimated annual cost of AKI is over £1
billion, while 20 per cent of AKI cases are thought to be predictable or
avoidable. Our AKI working group has developed a patient information leaflet and
have provided training to medical and nursing staff in Southmead Hospital to
improve management of AKI. We are working in collaboration with other trusts to
improve AKI care in the region.

Our education programme on AKI, CKD and hypertension
management for nurses and allied health care professionals in primary care is
now up and running. The first study day in February 2016 was well attended and
we’ll deliver more throughout the year.

We’ve set up a page on our website that consolidates CKD and
AKI research in the region, to help co-ordinate and publicise local work.

www.bristolhealthpartners.org.uk/ckd