Kidney Diseases: Health Services

(asked on 12th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 29 April 2021 to Question 186168 on Kidney Diseases: Health Services, what processes are in place to ensure that the adult renal service specification is effective in meeting the mental health needs of people on dialysis.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 26th May 2021

The service specification for haemodialysis acknowledges the significant impact that renal failure can have on an individual’s mental health and advises that service providers should offer patients access to social worker advice and psychology services, as well as providing information about patient support groups.

There are monthly clinical quality review meetings with hospitals to discuss the quality standards, with all providers of specialised services asked to assess their service against the key requirements of service specifications on an annual basis. Trusts and regional commissioners will discuss where standards are not fully met to support local action, including standards around access to psychosocial support. The quality of specialised services is also assessed by regional teams who draw on information from different sources, including information from the Care Quality Commission.

Furthermore, NHS England and NHS Improvement specialised commissioning are undertaking a National Adult Renal Services Transformation Programme. The Programme has identified psychosocial support within renal services as a key theme for improvement. Further updates on this work will be made available as the programme develops.

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