Developing Renal Services

This consultation is now closed. Keep updated on what's happening by visiting this page for updates on results from the consultation and next steps.  

The East of England Specialised Commissioning Group (SCG) is responsible for commissioning (buying) renal dialysis services for patients on behalf of all 14 Primary Care Trusts in the region.

Following a national review of services, guidance was produced with the aim of improving services for patients with renal failure through expansion and innovation. You can view any of the documents by clicking on them:

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on home treatments (2002)

'Saving Lives, Valuing Donors' - Organ Donation Taskforce Report (2003)

'Organs for Transplants' - Organ Donation Taskforce Report (2003)

The Renal National Service Framework (NSF) (2004 and 2005)

Department of Health Operating Framework (2008/09)

The Renal NSF brought all of this guidance together to raise the quality of care provided for people with kidney disease, increase their choice, and minimise the impact of their disease by:

• Using national data to plan and identify areas where demand for dialysis is high, especially amongst ethnic minority groups

• Continuing to expand renal dialysis capacity

• Joining the UK registry of the Renal Association and taking part in a national comparison

• Introducing the NICE guidelines on home treatments

• Introducing the NICE assessment of immunosuppresive therapy (relating to organ transplants)

Following this guidance and the establishment of the East of England SCG in 2007, planning to change the face of renal dialysis across the region began in order to address the five per cent annual growth in patient numbers.

As a result of this, a strategy document (see below) was carefully researched and produced with the help of clinicians and all 14 Primary Care Trusts. This identified those areas of greatest need for expansion of services and how to increase home treatments so patients can have the choice to care for themselves where clinically able.

Potential locations for increases in services were put forward, as were ways in which home treatments could be increased. 

Patients have also been given the chance to lead the way in telling the SCG how they think their services can be improved.

More information

This consultation is being led by the East of England Specialised Commissioning Group