Kidney Matters

Home Dialysis Therapies Fayre

You are invited to attend a ‘Home Dialysis Therapies Fayre’ at Smethwick Dialysis Centre.

Date: Saturday 1st July 2017 Time: 11am – 3pm

Venue: Smethwick Dialysis Centre, Unit 2, Rabone Park, Rabone Lane, Smethwick, B66 2NN Light refreshments will be provided and Ample free parking.

The aim of the fayre is to give you the opportunity to explore the option of a home therapy for your dialysis treatment. You will meet a number of our experienced staff who can provide support and information, advice and guidance to enable you to make a decision that is right for you. You will also be able to experience the following:

Overview of home haemodialysis and CAPD/APD
Opportunity to meet patients who are already established on Home Haemodialysis and CAPD/APD and hear their experience
Peer Supporters are available to expert advice
Meet with experienced members of the nursing team
Tour of haemodialysis unit

You can also contact us if you have any questions.
We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Phone Number 01213718340 or you can email us at HomeHDTeam@uhb.nhs.uk

We look forward to seeing you.

Colette Doyle
Home Dialysis Nurse Specialist

New Patients Transport Service Started 1st May 2017

The New Patient Transport Service started on the 1st May West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) has been awarded the five-year contract to deliver the Non Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPT)

The new contract offers a better quality of service for patients and W.M.A.S. have to deliver this.
The main changes that patients will see are:-

1. Patients will be asked to OPT IN to sign-up for real time information alerts to track the status of their NEPT journey. This will give patients a Text /email when the vehicle is 20 minutes away from collecting from home.

2. Give patients the option to provide patient feedback after each journey via SMS text message or email.

3. Patients should arrive for treatment 30 minutes before their appointed time and collected within 30 minutes after finishing treatment.

4. Patients should spend no more than 1 hour on a vehicle if they live within 15 miles of your dialysis unit.

5. Access to a wide range of ambulance vehicles to meet the medical needs of patients, including high dependency and bariatric patients.

6. A new patient charter, which will provide information on response times and what patients can expect

These are the main changes and improvements patients should now by aware of.

The CCG will be introducing eligibility criteria for transport. Anyone who needs transport because of a medical condition is entitled to it. This means if they are unable to use public transport or unfit to drive due to their condition or the treatment they are receiving they will be entitled to transport. If patients have a financial problem and are on benefits then the cost of train, bus, taxi, or petrol cost can be claimed back from the Hospital Travel Scheme, your unit will have details how to claim this.

To help the K.P.A. monitor performance and how these changes are implemented we ask all the patients who use transport to inform us about how the service is working for them.

Please text, email or write to us. You can find us under CONTACTS The only way to make sure you get the service you need and deserve is to let us know.

Send details of how you get on with the service giving times, dates, and the journey details.

Patient transport must improve so help us to help you.

We look forward to a new service meeting our needs
.

5K Fun Run 1st July at Fiveways Health Centre

The Fiveways Heath Centre is organizing a 5K Fun Run
in support of
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association

on Saturday 1st July 2017

starting at 2.00pm and finishing at 6.00pm.

The Run starts from:-
Fiveways Health Centre Ladywood Middleway,
Birmingham,
West Midlands.
B16 8HA,

If you would like to enter the run or support in any way,
we would appreciate your help for this worthwhile cause.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact:-

Gush Surdhar (Practice Manager), or Gemma Mooney (Administration Manger), on 0121 456 7420, option 1,
or via email m85064.surdharh@nhs.net
Or Visit us at:-
Fiveways Health Centre Ladywood Middleway, Birmingham, B16 8HA

There will also be a “free” - Blood Pressure Drop in Clinic on the day.
Refreshments will be available as well as a Raffle and Cake Sale .

We are also looking for sponsors, participants and water station helpers along the route
and any other help or support we have missed out on or over looked.

JUST CLICK HERE TO DONATE or FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients Association.
is a registered charity that raises funds for equipment to help improve a patients' experience.
The Charity also offers support to research projects at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and fund patients outgoing and holidays.
The Charity was founded in 1981 and the current number of renal patients treated at Q.E.H.B. totals over 2,400.
This includes both home and unit dialysis patients and transplant patients.

Obtaining your immunosuppression. Questions answered
If you go to “Patient Information” and click “General Information” There is an item produced by the Hospital which should answer all your question. If you need further advice please phone the unit. All the numbers are on the page.

Tom Simons supports the K.P.A. with donation of £8060

TOM SIMONS STORY

In September 2012 following a long illness, I had a Kidney Transplant with my darling wife Jackie being my Kidney Donor. To say this gave me a new lease of life is an understatement and allowed me to follow my passion for golf.

In 2016 I was honoured and privileged to be asked to be the Club Captain at Shirley Golf Club, with the monies raised throughout my Captaincy year going to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients Association (Q.E.H.K.P.A.). .

I held a Captains Charity Golf Day in May 2016 with several members from (Q.E.H.K.P.A.) there. The event saw 96 competitors play the course, raising over £5000 in entry fees, auction prizes and raffle prizes, I even managed to rope my local Santander Bank into having a Bake-off to raise Kidney disease awareness and monies. .

My heartfelt thanks to the Management and Members at Shirley GC for their time and generosity.

Other fund raising events through the year were, Captains Charity Raffles at all our Opens, bunker immunity tickets, Captains Drive-In, Charity Bottles in the bar area and other fun competitions.
World Kidney Day on Thursday 9th March in the Atrium, I presented a cheque to Nick Flint for £8,060.00 to Q.E.H.K.P.A.. Jackie and I are delighted to be able to 'give something back', for the tremendous work they and the NHS have done for us.

TOM SIMONS.

Important Notice.
Error in February 2017 Kidney Matters Newsletter.

In the February 2017 edition of Kidney Matters circulated to patients there was a printing error.

The names and numbers of the winners in the Christmas Raffle were miss printed.

Last years were re-printed by mistake. The correct details are on the web page and in the Newsletter to download.

All the winners of this year’s raffle have been notified and are correct.

We are sorry if this has caused any confusion.

The list of winners below is correct.

Editor Nick Flint.

K.P.A. Annual Draw 2016/2017 Raised £3186.50

The Annual Christmas Draw took place at the K.P.A. meeting on Wednesday 11th January 2017 We were pleased to have a visit from Karen Tullett Renal Sister from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital who very kindly drew the winning tickets. All the winners have been notified.

We congratulate all the lucky winners and thank all those who very generously supported us.

We raised £3186.50 from the sale of tickets and generous donation.

We would also like to acknowledge and that yhank the very many patients, relatives and friends who gave additional donations included with their Raffle tickets.
They are too numerous to acknowledge individually, but we thank you all for your generosity and kind thoughts.

Draw Results Raffle 2016/2017

Winners name	Ticket no	Prize	Winners name	Ticket no.	Prize
M.Sheasby	07392	£300	A. Akhatr	22520	£25
R. Cheeseman	23564	£150	S. Pearsall	07568	£10
A. Hamond	17981	£75	E. Davies	24726	£10
M. Groom	09683	£25	C Brannon	03234	£10
R. Bates	13198	£25	C. Syntichatis	11194	£10
A. Hughes	14014	£25	L. Smith	03844	£10
Young	19536	£25

The winning tickets were drawn by Renal Nurse Karen Tullett at the
K.P.A. meeting on 11th January 2017.
All the winners have been notified.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who very generously supported
the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association.
We also thank all those who included additional donations. There were too many to mention or acknowledge individually, but please accept our sincere appreciation and thanks.

Chairman K.P.A. Receives Member of the Year Award
at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Best in Care Awards

A surprised Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association, Nick Flint, was awarded UHB’s ‘Member of the Year’ at the Best in Care Awards ceremony.

Nick underwent a kidney transplant himself 19 years ago and has worked tirelessly ever since to improve the lives of those patients with chronic renal failure for many years.

He works behind the scenes for you in many ways and is often seen in the dialysis units checking on the service and raising any issues with the QE and the dialysis companies. He is a peer supporter and takes phone calls from patients who need a friendly ear.

As Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association committee, Nick is known to man stalls in the hospital atrium to raise awareness about kidney matters to staff and visitors and puts together the newsletters from the K.P.A..

He also works as a patient representative in various projects to improve patient care in the region and works very hard to keep renal patients’ interests represented in regards to transport.

His passion for supporting renal patients and their relatives has also resulted in the Q.E.H.K.P.A. raising many tens of thousand pounds for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital over the years.

Congratulations to Nick – a very worthy winner.
.

Festive Foods and Drink for Christmas
Do not forget to look on the Dietary information for details of Festive Foods and Drinks. There is also a Christmas Cake recipe for those on dialysis. All the information is provided by The Renal Dietitians at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

K.P.A. Supports Renal Research with £23000

Because of the very generous and continuing support that the Q.E.H.K.P.A. receives from kidney patients, friends, relatives and carers of patients and the public in fundraising we are very pleased to be able to support a renal research project being undertaken at the Q.E. This project will have a direct benefit to the renal patients treated by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and also involve the patients here.

The Research Project is led by Mr Nick Inston Consultant Renal Surgeon, who is looking at new ways to access patients’ blood vessels for dialysis treatment. Mr Inston said: “Kidney disease patients who are on dialysis require access to the blood vessels multiple times a week and this causes the vessels to scar and narrow. This research is looking at ways to improve the success and longevity of vascular access for patients.”

“With the generous support of the K.P.A., the Q.E.H.B. Vascular Access Research Group is leading research in this area. This current project is aimed at using a simple drug to open up the veins after surgery and increase the blood flow to enable more successful outcomes and better dialysis.”

Mr Inston added: “I’d like to thank the KPA supporters for their generosity. It’s a fantastic sum of money which will have a direct positive impact on renal patient care.”
.

Red Silicon Wrist Bands

The Q.E.H.K.P.A. has organised free Red Silicon Wrist Bands for Q.E. dialysis patients. These are available from your dialysis unit. If you prefer, you can order one direct from the K.P.A. but you will need to send a 73p Stamped self addressed envelope to the address below and stating what you require.
They come in two types:-
FISTULA LEFT ARM Or FISTULA RIGHT ARM
followed by:-
+No BP Testing / Needles + Q.E.H.K.P.A.
There are 3 sizes:-
Left arm 190mm, 200mm. 210mm.
Right arm sizes 200mm and 210mm

As a guide to help choose, if you cut out a strip of paper the length of the above sizes and wrap it round your wrist you can pick the size that fits best. The bands do stretch so they don't have to be bigger to go over your hand. . These are FREE to Q.E. Patients. If renal patients from other hospitals wish to purchase these they will cost £2.00 each plus 73p postage.
We are able to do this due to the generosity of all those who support our fundraising.

Send Stamped address envelope with a 73p stamp please to -
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association
c/o Nick Flint
9 Brookhouse Road
Walsall
WS5 3AE

Would you like to help save lives

Are you from the Pakistani or Mirpuri Muslim community

A new project, focusing on raising awareness of how donating an organ, blood or bone marrow can make real changes to many lives is being coordinated by national charity, Kidney Research UK, working with Dr Adnan Sharif, Consultant Kidney Doctor at the QE hospital.
Dr Shariff says: “It is well known that there are a disproportionately high number of patients from this community who are waiting for life saving and life enhancing treatment and transplants. However, it is also well known, that there are disproportionately few donors from this community”.
This Department of Health funded project is aimed at training people from the community to become champions - called Peer Educators - and to raise awareness of these issues within their community and encourage people to sign up.
We really need YOUR help to help the Peer Educators raise awareness and get into the community – to mosques, community centres, colleges, and events – ANYWHERE & EVERYWHERE where the community gathers.......do YOU know where they could go to reach the community and raise much needed awareness, and can you facilitate that access please?
If you can help and to find out more, please contact Project Manager, Neerja Jain ASAP on 01923 510 196 or 07810 555 844 or email: neerjajain@kidneyresearchuk.org. THANK YOU!

For more News of the Kidney Patients' Association
Visit the NewsLetter page for the latest copy of Kidney Matters The Newsletter of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association

	KIDNEY MATTERS
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association