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Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association
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IMPORTANT NOTICES: Tacrolimus Flu Vaccinations Renal Patient Transport 






The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Kidney Patients' Association (QEHKPA)




Introduction
Across the West Midlands there are about a quarter of a million people with kidney disease. Kidney disease can be physically and emotionally demanding and can have effects on work, relationships, family life and problems associated with finances.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) is the largest provider of kidney care in the West Midlands.

The Renal Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham provide treatment for patients with early stages of kidney disease, advanced kidney disease, dialysis, transplantation, end of life care and acute kidney injury.

Many patients receive their dialysis treatment in one of the satellite units at Hereford, Aston, Great Bridge, Kings Norton, Sparkhill, Smethwick, Worcester Llandrindon-Wells, and Woodgate Valley which are supervised by the kidney healthcare team at UHB.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kidney Patients' Association (often called the Q.E.H.K.P.A.) offers support to help patients, their families, carers and friends.

About us

Our KPA is a registered charity that was started in 1981 to:

  • Provide support to kidney patients of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, their families and carers.
  • Raise public awareness of kidney problems.
What are our aims?

The Q.E.H.K.P.A. aims to:

  • Help and support all kidney patients, their families and carers treated by U.H.B.
  • Improve kidney services by working closely with staff within the local units.
  • Raise funds to help improve the renal patients' experience.
  • Provide information on our web site www.kidneymatters.co.uk and through our newsletter KIDNEY MATTERS to patients undergoing treatment.
  • Support the NHS organ donor register.
Our activities

We raise funds to support a variety of projects. These include:

  • Supporting social activities including outings and holidays.
  • Producing a regular newsletter.
  • Buying equipment for kidney patients to use whilst in hospital.
  • Supporting kidney research at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The Q.E.H.K.P.A. relies on the generous financial support of the public to continue its activities.

K.P.A. Meetings

There are regular Q.E.H.K.P.A. meetings which take place at 19.30 on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in The Faith Centre on the First Floor in the Atrium of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Everyone is welcome to come along.

Please phone a member of the committee to check that we have not changed the meeting date.

How to get involved?

You can help in a number of different ways by:

  • Becoming active in the Q.E.H.K.P.A.
  • Helping with the social activities and monthly meetings.
  • Supporting the planning and staging of fundraising events.
  • Making a donation.
  • Having your own fundraising event for us.
If you want more information please see the Q.E.H.K.P.A. contact details at the end of the leaflet. Alternatively please speak to one of your kidney nurses.

Where can I find further sources of information?

Further information can be obtained from:

  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham KPA website www.kidneymatters.co.uk. On our Web site we have all the Patient Information leaflets published by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to view or download. These also include Dietary information supplied by the Renal Dietitians. All leaflets are approved by the hospital.
  • The British Kidney Patient Association is a UK charity that works to improve the quality of life for adults and children with chronic kidney disease and has funding available through your Hospital/Unit social worker. www.britishkidney-pa.co.uk
  • Kidney Research their wed address is www.kidneyresearchuk.org
  • NHS Blood and Transplant- www.nhsbt.nhs.uk
  • West Midlands Renal Network plans and oversees the development of renal services along the entire renal pathway. www.wmrn.co.uk
  • A wide range of patient information leaflets and fact sheets are available through the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust website and can be accessed via www.uhb.nhs.uk/pi-renal.htm
  • Patient information on the Q.E.H.K.P.A. Web site www.kidneymatters.co.uk
Renal Unit
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Mindelsohn Way,
Edgbaston,
Birmingham, B15 2WB
Telephone: 0121 371 2000



Local News

Festrive Food and Drink for Parties
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.

Kidney Matters the News letter for Renal Patients at the Queen Elizabeth
Kidney Matters is the newsletter for the K.P.A. and is sent to all renal patients on C.A.P.D.or haemodialysis, transplant and pre dialysis, who are receiving treatment at the Q.E. or the satellite units.

The newsletter is paid for from the funds that the K.P.A. raise during the year. The purpose of KIDNEY MATTERS is to keep patients and carers informed as to the work of the K.P.A., provide information to patients on different topics, which we hope will be of interest and to provide a link for patients who may feel very isolated due to their condition.

We would welcome your comments and ideas on how we may expand and improve on this and continue to help the 2300 plus patients with renal problems treated at the Q.E.

If anyone would like to contribute an article to the newsletter or the web page please send it in to the Editor. It could be about how you organised a holiday, Ideas on dealing with the condition of renal failure, coping with going back to work, success stories about receiving transplants, and how it changed your life. This would give hope to others who may feel very low at times and that the future looks bleak.

If you send your thoughts to the Editor the address is on the back page of the newsletter or on the contacts page, we will include them in future editions.

The Newsletter is posted to all patients three times a year.

Copies are in each of the dialysis units: Aston, Great Bridge, Smethwick, Hereford, Kings Norton, Sparkhill, Woodgate Valley, Worcester, Redditch, LLandrindod Wells and the R.D.U. at the Q.E. for patients to collect.
PLEASE look out for them.
Thanks for your support.

Renal Patient Information from the Q.E.
If you go to the section "patient information" you will find a list of patient information leaflets.
These have been produced by the Hospital they are free to download or you can obtain copies of them from the renal unit.
We hope you find them useful.
All the information is produced by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Renal Department.

Peer Support for Renal Patients
The Hospital, under the supervision of Dr Day, has started a Peer Support Programme for renal patients. The aim is to help patient, who would like to talk to someone who has first-hand experience of renal issues topics such as starting dialysis, being on dialysis, what is it like to do home dialysis, PD, transplantation or just to talk about being a renal patient.
The Peer Supporters are all renal Patients. They have been fully checked out by the Hospital and given training to help and will treat any conversation with the strictest of confidentiality.
If you would like to talk to someone, just ask your Doctor next time you go to clinic or your dialysis unit, and they will organise it for you.

The Peer Supporters are there to help you and your family and carers.

There is more information about Peer Support and how to contact a Peer Supporter.

Down load the information on the 'Patient Information' section of this web site.

The K.P.A. would welcome more support from patients or carers
The K.P.A. has supported renal patients and the Hospital for over 35 years and it is hoped that this support can continue for many years to come, but we need more support from patients and/or families to enable us to offer ongoing help.
We meet at the Q.E. Hospital on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. There are over 2200 renal patients treated at the Q.E. and we only have at our meeting on average 15 to 20 people attending. So if anyone thinks they might like to help in any way, please consider contacting any of the committee members or just turn up on the night. You will receive a warm welcome and you won’t be pressured into doing anything. Any help will be very much appreciated.
We understand that you are all renal patients and it is sometimes difficult to deal with everyday things without volunteering for something else, but we are all renal patients and carers, so we know the problems.
I hope you will think about the K.P.A. and try to come along and meet us.

Look forward to seeing you.

Nick Flint Chairman

Flu vaccinations
From The Renal Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
For the attention of all Renal Patients.
It is safe for all patients with kidney disease/dialysis or transplants to receive both flu injections.
Please Contact your G.P.


The UK swine flu vaccination programme is getting under way.
The first wave of immunisations will be given to a number of priority groups. As you fall into one of the priority groups we are recommending that you have both the seasonal flu and the swine flu vaccination. Both vaccines have been carefully tested and are safe. We do not expect any additional problems for patients who are have advanced chronic kidney disease, those treated by dialysis or those people who have received a kidney transplant.
Your GP has supplies of the vaccine and will be able to provide you with both vaccinations. Please contact your GP's surgery to arrange a convenient appointment in the near future.

Dr Graham Lipkin
Consultant Nephrologist