Web Correspondent Report on Nephrology in the United Kingdom - News

by Rachel Hilton

Dr Rachel Hilton Consultant Nephrologist Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Trust London United Kingdom

Renal Association

Prof. John Feehally (Leicester) in April was elected to succeed Prof. Andy Rees (Aberdeen) as president of the Renal Association, from 2004.

 

British Renal Society

Birmingham International Convention Centre

The annual meeting of the British Renal Society was held on May 15-16 at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. 977 delegates registered. This is the only truly multidisciplinary forum in the UK (doctors, nurses, dieticians, psychologists, technicians, drug industry, and others).

There were good discussions and presentations on the resurgence of interest in home haemodialysis, the role of the Nurse Consultant, Water Impurities and Treatment, Computers in Nephrology, and Hypertension. Patients' voices were heard with direct contributions including during the keynote debate "This House believes that payment of potential organ donors is both necessary and desirable" (the motion itself was heavily defeated).

At the conference, the mantle of the BRS Presidency passed from Dr Donal O'Donoghue from Hope Hospital, to Dr Steve Smith from Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.

 

British Transplantation Society

The 6th annual congress of the British Transplantation Society was held on April 8-10 at the Commonwealth Institute in London, hosted by Prof. John Fabre (King’s College, London). The meeting included a special symposium to mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Nobel prize-winning paper by Billingham, Brent, and Medawar, which first defined "immunological tolerance". 50 years on, delegates were honoured to hear Leslie Brent, one of the original co-authors, present their astonishing findings.

At the conference it was confirmed that the current vice-president of the BTS, Mr John Forsythe (Edinburgh), was elected President of the society, to succeed Dr Phil Dyer (Manchester) in 2005.

 

UK Transplant

In April 2003 UK Transplant reported the highest number of organ transplants in the UK in six years. Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003 2,777 patients received organs from 1,164 donors, equating to a 6% increase compared to the previous 12 months.

 

National Kidney Research Fund

In December the NKRF and ScHARR (School of Health and Related Research based at Sheffield University) published the results of their survey to establish how renal services are currently commissioned and provided in the UK. The publication generated considerable interest in the UK press and some heated debate on the Nephrol discussion group, reporting as it did considerable disparity in delivery of renal services for dialysis between units and at a regional level, partly due to lack of funding, space, facilities and staff. This was thought to largely reflect regional disparities in purchasing of services between commissioners and providers, and this commissioning process was sharply criticised.

Also in December the NKRF launched the ABLE campaign, which aims to raise awareness of kidney disease within non-European ethnic groups.