Are you a patient, relative or carer of someone with kidney disease?
The Renal Association patient council helps to connect us and the work we do with people whose lives are directly affected by kidney disease. Your current experiences, views and opinions can influence kidney services now and in the future, because we work with the kidney centres, researchers and many others.
We meet quarterly, usually in Birmingham, and at the meetings we do a variety of things.
Our role includes:
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Getting involved in new programmes of work that aim to improve experiences and outcomes for patients
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Helping to produce new patient information – reports, leaflets and posters
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Supporting the RA on issues relating to information governance – how data are managed and used, and patient consent
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Discussing new research proposals and how patient data from kidney centres are used
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Encouraging discussion between patients and clinicians to promote patient involvement in kidney centres at local, regional and national levels.
Patient council members are unpaid, but an allowance is available for attendance at meetings, plus travel costs. Any training needs for this role will be provided with on-going support to help you take on these responsibilities.
Current members
Chair:
Sue became Chair of the Renal Association Patient Council in 2020 after four years as a member. Sue has spent her working life in publishing and has worked as a freelance medical writer and editor for over 20 years. She was diagnosed with kidney failure at the age of 25 on admission to Guy’s Hospital, London. After nine years on home haemodialysis, Sue received a deceased-donor kidney transplant in 1986.
Hakeem Adedoja, patient representative
Keith Bucknall, patient representative
Claire Corps, patient representative
Ron Cullen, chief executive, The Renal Association
Mark Davis, patient representative
Kamal Dhesi, patient representative
Katharine Evans, research manager, The Renal Association
Ethan Gabriel, patient representative
Alan Hancock, patient representative
Jack Husband, patient representative
Margaret Ince, patient representative
Suzanne Johnston, patient representative
Fiona Loud, policy director of Kidney Care UK
Ewan MacLean, patient representative
Suzanne McConnell, patient representative
James Medcalf, medical director, UK Renal Registry
Guy Richards, patient representative
Tracey Rose, patient representative
Amrit Sanchadev, patient representative
Manuela Savino, clinical fellow, UK Renal Registry
Michael Watson, patient representative
The Renal Association and its patient council would like to acknowledge the contribution our late member Denny Abbott made. She was a founder member of the council in 2014 and a great believer in the power of data for improvement in patient care. She gave freely of her time and expertise as a patient, despite her health challenges and we miss her and thank her for all her authoritative, consistent contributions to the group from the start. She was awarded the 2018 UKRR Terry Feest award in recognition of her efforts.
