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Support
National Kidney FederationThe NKF is the patient's voice and is fighting to achieve high quality renal treatment across the UK. The setting up of the Kidney Alliance (an NKF initiative) has brought together for the first time all the various strands involved in renal treatment, from Patients to Doctors, Carers to Nurses, Campaigners to Consultants. The Federation is able to monitor and compare renal services across the country because of its unique structure. It is run by representatives of the 50 separate Kidney Patients' Associations geographically spread across the UK. This gives it enormous knowledge of the "scene out there" and enables swift action to be taken when a problem is identified. Achieving a National Renal Service Framework within the NHS is seen as the immediate goal. This would set UK wide standards of renal care within four to five years. The NKF has responded to every consultation paper sent out by the Department of Health. This, coupled with the Early Day Motion 420 tabled in the House of Commons and the setting up of an All Party Kidney Group has put enormous pressure for change and improvement on the Government. Regional specialist commissioning groups will decide in future how much money each renal unit will get. It is up to the individual Kidney Patients Associations supported by the NKF to make contact with their local group and make regional needs known. Success in seeking money from the National Lottery now means a new service for renal patients and carers. A patient helpline, (telephone: 0845 601 02 09, e-mail: helpline@kidney.org.uk) has been set up at the NKF Head Office available Monday to Friday, 09.00 am to 5.00 pm. This is a most exciting and beneficial new enterprise that will be of assistance directly to the 24,000 United Kingdom Kidney patients. Together with this Website (www.kidney.org.uk) the NKF will be in the forefront of keeping kidney patients and NKF members fully informed. "Kidney Life" the NKF magazine and the annual conference both continue to be vital conduits of information to all those concerned with renal matters. 6 Stanley Street, Telephone: 01909 487795. Registered charity No. 278616 For further information visit the Website: www.kidney.org.uk
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