The Oxford Kidney Unit has massively increased the number of dialysis patients taking part in their own treatment.

People receiving haemodialysis at a centre often have low levels of engagement in their own care, which can lead to worse health outcomes.

Shared care gives the patient the opportunity to take part in any aspect of their dialysis treatment, with guidance and support from nursing staff.

They can choose which aspects of their care they would like to manage.

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The number of patients involved in shared care activities rose from 19 out of 483 (four per cent) in April 2022 to 220 out of 511 (43 per cent) in December 2023.

The Oxford Kidney Unit is based at the Churchill Hospital and has seven centres - in Banbury, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Swindon, Milton Keynes, as well as the two centres in Oxford.

The changes were first implemented in the Unit’s two main centres in Oxford and then rolled out in the other five centres.

Renal Consultant Dr Udaya Udayaraj, who co-led the project, said: "Our aim was to encourage more patients to take part in shared haemodialysis care because we know that it helps them to become more engaged and take better care of themselves - which leads to improvements in their wellbeing and outcomes.

"This also helps some patients to develop their confidence and the ability to do their haemodialysis treatment at home, which offers better quality of life for patients and has the potential to save the NHS money."