The 2022 Campaign – building on progress

The NKF recognises that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and its associated staffing issues impacted significantly on the increasing home dialysis campaign during 2021. However, the success of the vaccination campaign and the development of medicines to treat Covid-19 mean that there is greater optimism that significant inroads into the target of 20% of eligible patients will be made during 2022. To achieve this the NKF will undertake the following actions during the year. 1 This report is being published to coincide with World Kidney Day – it will be backed up by a press release and contacts with local and national media outlets to ensure the greatest reach. 2 A copy of this report will be sent to all four devolved governments requesting their response. 3 Using the 2020 data provided by the UKRR, as shown on pages 8-13, the NKF will write to

Clinical Directors of Renal Services of all centres in the UK, with a copy of this report. These letters to be targeted at centres with 20% or more patients on home dialysis and centres with less than 20% provision of home dialysis.

Centres in the first group will be requested to share their good practice and centres in the second group will be requested to send their plans for improvement to the NKF by the end of

August 2022. Chairs of KPAs will be sent a copy of this report. 4 Raise the campaign as a priority action for the new All APPKG at its parliamentary meeting in May. 5 Continue to work closely with the RSTP and ensure that an increase in home therapies is high on their agenda. They have indicated their

enthusiasm for this so the NKF is confident that this support will give the campaign further impetus in 2022. 6 Identify all regional networks and ensure that there is an NKF representative with the brief to ensure that the home dialysis campaign is high on their agenda. 7 Establish a working partnership between the

NKF and KQuIP on home dialysis. 8 Seek to run a session on home dialysis at UK

Kidney Week in June 2022. 9 Develop educational material in the form of four professionally produced videos to inform and help allay any fears of patients and carers considering home dialysis. 10 The NKF Peer Support Service, which was launched in September 2021 has been very valuable in enabling patients and carers to be put in touch with a peer support volunteer who has experienced similar issues. The NKF will develop this service further during 2022. 11 The NKF recognises that home therapies may not be suitable for every dialysis patient but, there are likely to be a significant number who would like to undertake dialysis at home but are deterred because of physical or emotional concerns. During 2022 the NKF will develop guidance on how such barriers might be addressed. 12 The NKF recognises that there have been significant increases in the price of energy and that carrying out home therapies has a significant effect on the costs of water and electricity. There is no standardisation across the country on how, and to what extent, these costs are reimbursed, and this will be addressed during 2022.