On Wednesday, 21 May, BAPN representatives Kate Sinnott and Dean Wallace attended a high-profile House of Lords event focused on raising awareness of kidney disease and addressing the barriers to equitable access to home dialysis therapies, with a particular emphasis on Home Haemodialysis.
The event was sponsored by a cross-party group of parliamentarians, including Lord Watts (Labour), the Earl of Courtown (Conservative), Alicia Kearns MP (Conservative), and David Baines MP (Labour). It brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including MPs, industry leaders, charity representatives, and healthcare professionals.
Attendees heard from Vantive (formerly Baxter) and Kidney Research UK, and were moved by the patient journey of ‘Charlie’ - a young patient from Nottingham who greatly benefitted from moving to Home Haemodialysis (supported by the HHD QI Network in Manchester) prior to his successful transplant just six weeks ago.
Kate and Dean made an impassioned plea for government support to establish and solidify the sustainable infrastructure required for expanded access to Paediatric Home Haemodialysis. Key proposals included:
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Introduction of a unified national tariff to enable a consistent business case for all across the NHS
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Formal recognition of dialysis nurses as a specialist nursing branch, allowing enhanced remuneration as for ICU nurses
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Incentives for NHS trusts and patients to opt for home therapies
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Mandating the tenets of a national paediatric renal service specification, especially for social workers and psychologists
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The industry to commit to a defined amount of R&D budgets to create and provide paediatric specific dialysis technologies and consumables/lines.
The event was a resounding success, with engaged MPs clamouring to discuss ways forward – including discussions around industrial partners in dialysis. Wes Streeting MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, delivered an address and personally received a letter from Charlie.
Thanks to this event, BAPN has gained several influential supporters and established valuable contacts for future collaborations and advocacy efforts.