A year of continuity and progress for GSTTKPA
Guy’s & St Thomas’ Kidney Patients’ Association (GSTTKPA) is going from strength to strength in its support for patients and their families at Guy’s kidney clinic. This was the message of GSTTKPA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on 1st December 2018.
GSTTKPA Chair Sue Lyon commented
“Our thanks to all our supporters. It is only with your aid that we are able to continue to help our fellow kidney patients at Guys & Thomas’ Hospitals.”
KPA members attending the AGM heard presentations from three excellent speakers:
- Kevin Evans, Matron for Satellite Dialysis, GSTT: Improvement plans for the dialysis units
- Lisa Ancliffe, Senior Specialist Occupational Therapist, Renal & Urology, GSTT: Art and craft while dialysing
- Mr Benedict Phillips, Specialist Registrar in Transplant Surgery, GSTT: The latest in transplantation research
Articles based by these speakers will be published in a forthcoming issue of GSTTKPA newsletter, Kidney Talk.
GSTTKPA’s activities for 2018-2019
Patient support
- Participation in the Advanced Kidney Care Clinic educational sessions for people approaching dialysis or transplantation.
- A grant to offer complementary and supportive therapy for kidney patients at the end of life.
- Support for a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of offering art and craft on dialysis.
- Involvement in the South London Operational Delivery Network, an NHS England initiative to improve kidney care across South London.
Social and sporting activities
- Grants to dialysis units and kidney wards for social activities for patients.
- Family Fun Day for patients, families and friends—Fun Day 2019 will be held in June/July 2019.
- Help for young adult kidney patients to attend a ‘Climbing Out’ week: https://gsttkpa.org/climbing-out/
- Grants to the Guy’s Adult and Evelina Children’s British Transplant Games teams.
Equipment
- Grants to refurnish the Day Rooms on Richard Bright, Patience and Florence Wards.
- A grant for a ‘dialysis practice arm’ for Borough Kidney Unit to support home haemodialysis.
Research
- In 2018, a grant to Mr Benedict Phillips for a pilot study to improve the new technique of warm kidney perfusion: https://gsttkpa.org/new-technology-kidney-transplantation/
- In 2019, a proposal for a research competition for members of the GSTT kidney staff. More information to follow.