The Canterbury Renal Unit is based at Kent and Canterbury Hospital (K&C) and provides renal service for the 1.25 million population of East Kent and the Medway and Maidstone districts of West Kent. Kent and Canterbury Hospital was first established in 1793 and moved to its current site in 1937. The renal unit was built in 1971 and started to provide dialysis treatment in 1972.
There are now 368 patients on haemodialysis, nearly 72 patients on peritoneal dialysis and over 360 patients who have functioning renal transplants. In addition to a haemodialysis unit at K&C, patients are dialysed at satellites units in Margate, Medway, Maidstone, Dover and Ashford. The Home therapies team is responsible for provision of peritoneal dialysis service and runs a growing home haemodialysis programme, thus allowing a full choice of renal replacement therapies tailored to the need of individual patients. Outreach services are currently provided in Ashford, Folkestone, Margate, Maidstone, Medway and Dover. Home and community outpatient services have also been recently established.
Patients suitable for Kidney Transplant are referred to surgeons from Guy's Hospital, London, who hold weekly clinics at Kent and Canterbury Hospital. Surgery for transplant is done at Guy's Hospital after which patients are transferred back to Canterbury for further follow up.
Both the medical and nursing staff take keen interest in research and regularly present their work at international meetings. The unit is carrying out research in a number of important areas. The department has a particular interest in epidemiology of chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease in renal patients, and use of IT in development of protocols for improving the quality and efficiency of renal service.
There is a weekly CME meeting where journal clubs and topic teaching is used to keep junior and senior doctors abreast of the latest developments in the field of nephrology. Renal unit actively participates in teaching house officers, medical students and nurses.
Haemodialysis Units
Kent Kidney Care Centre provides dialysis services for east and west Kent. Currently, there are six haemodialysis units based in; Canterbury, Margate, Maidstone, Medway, Dover and Ashford. The units are staffed by a Unit Manager with Registered Nurses, Nursing Associates, Dialysis Assistants and a Ward Clerk. Each shift is supervised by a Consultant Nephrologists. All patients are seen regularly by their supervising Nephrologist who reviews the adequacy of their dialysis and biochemical parameters monthly. Nutritional status of the patients is assessed by Renal Dieticians with input from a Renal Pharmacist plus there is support from the Renal Care Navigator and Renal Counsellors is available to Centre and Satellite Unit patients.
The Thomas Beckett Centre Unit, Kent and Canterbury Hospital
Canterbury is the centre unit for the haemodialysis service. Patients usually start on the programme at the Canterbury unit until they are established and stable on dialysis. Once this has been achieved patients are be transferred to a satellite unit nearest to their place of residence. Canterbury unit has 30 stations and dialyses 140 patients at full capacity.
All patients dialyse at least three times per week, with a few dialysing four or five times per week.
Opening times:
The Units are open from Monday to Saturday from 7am - 11.30pm.
Patients Shifts:
There are two to three patient shifts per day:
Monday / Wednesday / Friday - Morning: 7am to 1.30pm
Monday / Wednesday / Friday – Afternoon: 1.30pm to 7.30pm
Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday – Morning: 7am to 1.30pm
Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday – Afternoon: 1.30pm to 7.30pm
In addition, there is a Twilight shift on Monday/Wednesday/Friday evenings for patients who work or have commitments during the day. Most patients on this shift are physically very well and drive themselves in for dialysis. Transport can now be provided for those patients wanting to undertake their dialysis on Twilight shifts. At present, Canterbury and Medway are the two Units that run Twilight shifts
The Alan Squirrel Satellite Renal Services Unit at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, Margate
QEQM is a District General Hospital located in the Thanet peninsula south east of Canterbury.
The Alan Squirrel Satellite Renal Services Unit at Medway Hospital
A busy District General Hospital located in the Gillingham, about 35 miles from Canterbury.
Maidstone Kidney Care Centre
24 stations operating 2 shifts daily at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital about 32 miles from Canterbury.
Dover Renal Satellite Unit
Located at Buckland Hospital in Dover. It has 11 stations.
Ashford Satellite Renal Services Unit
Located at William Harvey Hospital, Ashford. It has 15 stations which operate in two shifts
Home Haemodialysis
Managed by the home dialysis team. Undertaking this treatment at home offers you more flexibility with your time as you may wish to dialyse for shorter more frequent sessions. For more information please go to the Home haemodialysis page.