The Kidney Alliance

The Kidney Alliance was formed jointly by the Renal Association and the National Kidney Federation in 1998 to bring together the patients' voice and professionals committed to renal medicine. The Kidney Alliance is an 'umbrella' body representing all organisations involved in renal services. Its mission:

' to ensure high quality treatment for all patients with kidney failure
on an equal and uniform base throughout the UK'.

Under the Chairmanship of Austin Donohoe, much progress has been made including the foundation by the NKF of an All Party Kidney Group of MPs in July 1999. The APKG is committed to improving the understanding in Parliament of kidney disease and transplant medicine and to the care that is available to people with renal failure. Given the timescale of several years before the commencement of work on a National Service Framework, the Kidney Alliance, driven largely by patients keen to prevent any deterioration in the service, judged it would be useful to put forward some service standards and to recommend the structures which will be necessary to deliver them in the new NHS. In so doing, a template for the planning and commissioning of renal services is set out, uniquely, by those working within the speciality in concert with those actually receiving treatment.

The founder member organisations contributing to this Kidney Alliance initiative include:

British Renal Symposium (BRS)
British Transplant Society (BTS)
National Kidney Federation (NKF)
Kidney Research UK
Renal Association
Joint Royal College of Physicians (London)/Renal Association Committee
Society of DGH Nephrologists
Royal College of Nursing
Kidney Research Unit for Wales Foundation

Representations of nursing, the professions allied to medicine (PAM's) and technical support services are through the British Renal Symposium.

The Kidney Alliance thanks the NKRF and the Renal Association for financing the preparation of this document.

The Kidney Alliance records its gratitude to the External Reference Group which has overseen the production of this document.

Professor Sir Netar Mallick (Chair)
Freda Eskin
Dr Paul Roderick
James Barbour
Dr Roger Greenwood
Professor John Walls
Mark Bevan
Anne Keogh
Louise Wells
Austin Donohoe
Bertie Pinchera
Professor Bob Wilkinson

The Kidney Alliance thanks also Dr Alison Armitage, Dr Ken Farrington, Professor David Kerr and David Powell for their help in producing this document.

The Kidney Alliance thanks Jean McManus for secretarial support.

The Kidney Alliance is grateful to many others who have contributed to this document either individually or on behalf of their organisations: Steve Allinson, Ali Bakran, Nick Bosanquet, Andrew Bradley, David Bennett-Jones, Yvonne Bradburn, Sandy Davison, Andrea Devaney, Ciaran Doherty, Peter Drew, Terry Feest, Ram Gokal, Leigh Griffin, Cheri Hunter, Ray James, Don Keir, Donna Lamping, Mike Lavender, Alison MacLeod, Iain Macdougall, Michael Nicholson, Anthony Nichols, Donal O'Donoghue, Claire Phillips, Ed Piele, Steve Powis, Chris Pritchard, Hugh Rayner, Andy Rees, Stuart Rodger, Jenny Scott, Steve Smith, Marianne Vennegoor, David Webb, Es Will, Gwyn Williams.