Supported by £3.8 million in funding from Barts Charity, the new centre is the first of its kind in the country, offering self-care and nocturnal dialysis in a space designed to feel more like a “home away from home” than a hospital ward.
Why East London needs a new Renal Centre
Barts Health NHS Trust has one of the biggest renal services in London. It undertakes approximately 220,000 dialysis sessions each year and that number is expected to rise as the number of people with end-stage kidney disease is growing steadily.
The number of people with end-stage kidney disease who need dialysis or a transplant has steadily grown in recent years. It’s surpassed expected numbers.
Patients with end-stage kidney disease will need lifelong renal replacement therapy. Home-based therapies are recommended and have shown to improve quality of life and health outcomes – but not all patients can access these due to unsuitable housing conditions. For instance, those living where space is limited, and those living in rented accommodation where required plumbing and refurbishment works would mean getting permission from a landlord.
For many patients, in-centre haemodialysis is the only option. But that comes with significant challenges:
- Patients need to come in three times a week – and each session can last up to four hours
- The rigid routines are enormously challenging for patients to fit into their schedules – and balancing health, personal and work needs along with dialysis can often lead to a lower quality of life
The new Renal Centre
This innovative centre will offer:
- Flexibility: Patients can dialyse at times that suit their schedules, including the option for nocturnal dialysis, which can improve sleep and overall wellbeing
- A supportive environment: A less clinical, more social setting where patients can feel more comfortable and supported
- Empowerment: Opportunities for patients to learn and manage their own dialysis, increasing their confidence and independence
- Young adult care: A dedicated unit for young adults transitioning from paediatric to adult care, designed to meet their specific needs and reduce anxiety
“The new Renal Centre is a brilliant example of our commitment to fund projects that transform patient care and tackle health inequalities head on. As the first centre of its kind in the country, it demonstrates how hospitals can deliver truly patient-centred solutions by listening to their communities and responding. We’re proud to help make this vision a reality.”Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity
Tahmina’s story
For Tahmina Begum, the new young adult’s unit has been life changing. “It made me feel happy,” said Tahmina. “I like the break-out room.”
Tahmina has been coming to the new unit since it opened in April. Previously, Tahmina received dialysis alongside much older patients in a traditional adult ward environment.
The young adult’s unit at the Renal Centre was co-designed with young patients like Tahmina, helping ensure the space reflects what matters most to them: comfort, independence and connection with others their own age.
“You can shine here,” Tahmina said. “There are people and I’m more comfortable.”
“Being here with younger people makes me feel happy and young,” she said. “On the ninth floor, it was older people. It made me feel like I was old.”
The new centre includes a breakout and social space where young people can spend time together before and after treatment – something Tahmina says makes a huge difference.
“When you get off the machine, you get cramps, and in the break-out room there’s more freedom,” she explained. “The break-out room feels good.”
Tahmina was one of the young people who were involved in the co-creation of the new environment and services. It was her idea to develop a break-out room. Young people have helped to create a brighter, less clinical space that is tailored to their needs.
“[Involving young people] means it’ll be more bright,” said Tahmina. “And it means there’s more space. It’s less cluttered.”
She also spoke about how empowering it felt to know staff genuinely listened to her views: “It’s amazing people listened to me,” she said. “It makes me feel proud and that’s lovely.”
The transition from paediatric to adult care
The young adult’s unit’s main aim is to support those transitioning from paediatric to adult care – an adjustment that can often feel abrupt and leave young people feeling isolated.
Alongside dialysis treatment, the unit will provide educational support, peer mentoring and opportunities to build independence and confidence.
For Tahmina, the sense of community has already had a powerful impact. “I made friends here,” she said. “And I trust them.”
Her sister has noticed the change too: “I’m a hundred percent seeing a huge change,” she said. “I don’t need to get her out of bed to come here.”
For young people starting treatment at the unit in future, Tahmina has a simple message: “I just want them to be excited and have fun, you know? Just because you’re on a machine doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.”