This leaflet answers common questions about the North Central London Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) service. If you would like further information or have any worries ask your GP, or your nurse or doctor in clinic.

What is chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

CKD is a common long-term condition which occurs when your kidneys work less well than they should. It affects around 10% of adults in the UK, increasing to 20% in people over 80 years of age. For most people this condition is routinely managed by their GP, but your GP may want some extra support from a specialist team on how best to manage your CKD.

What is the North Central London CKD service and how will it benefit me?

The service provides more collaborative specialist care for CKD patients across North Central London. Patients will be assessed sooner, receive personalised treatment based on the clinical information available in their GP records and will be directed to the most appropriate clinical service for their needs. This means patients will have fewer unnecessary appointments.

How does our service work?

All referrals to the service will be reviewed by our specialist kidney team who will provide your GP with personalised advice on managing your condition. This will result in one of three outcomes:

Continuing management with your GP using the specialist advice.

Or

Referral to a nurse-led clinic for education and support.

Or

Referral to a specialist hospital kidney clinic for further tests.

Your GP will inform you of the outcome.

What type of appointment will I be offered?

You may be offered an appointment via telephone, video, or face to face. You will be given more information about your appointment type with your appointment letter, including how to prepare.
If you are invited to attend an appointment in person, please bring all the tablets that you are currently taking in the original packaging. This includes any tablets or herbal medicines that you do not get from your GP.
These are some helpful tips to help you prepare for a video or telephone appointment:

  1. Be ready at your appointment time for your telephone call or video appointment.
  2. Please have your current medication that you are taking to hand, in original packaging.
  3. If you have a blood pressure machine, please take three measurements one or two minutes apart and write down all the numbers as they appear on the screen. Have the result ready to tell us.
  4. If you have a weighing scale, please record your weight in kilos or stones.
  5. Make a list of questions or issues you would like to discuss.

Hospital appointment with a specialist kidney doctor

Our clinics are held at the following locations, and you will be invited to attend the hospital nearest to you if you need a face to face appointment:

Barnet Hospital

Wellhouse Lane, Barnet, EN5 3DJ.

North Middlesex University Hospital

Sterling Way, London, N18 1QX.

Royal Free Hospital

Pond Street, London, NW3 2QG.

Whittington Hospital

Magdala Avenue, London, N19 5NF.

Nurse or pharmacist led kidney appointments

You may be asked to attend an appointment with a specialist kidney nurse or pharmacist at one of these locations:

Barnet Hospital

Wellhouse Lane, Barnet, EN5 3DJ.

Edgware Community Hospital

Burnt Oak Broadway, HA8 0AD.

St Pancras Kidney and Diabetes Centre

St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London, NW1 0PE.

Tottenham Hale Kidney and Diabetes Centre

5-7 Daneland Walk, Hale Village, London, N17 9FE.

A GP hub near to your home.

Please let us know as soon as possible should you need to change or cancel your appointment. You will find the relevant telephone number to do this on your appointment letter.

If you do not attend your appointment and do not let us know, you may be discharged back to the care of your GP and need to be referred back.

Who can access this service?

This service is for adults registered with a GP in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, or Islington, who have CKD and meet the referral criteria.

How can patients access the service?

Your GP will need to refer you to the service. They will ask for your permission to share the medical records they hold about you with the specialist kidney team. Your GP can explain this to you in more detail.

Do you have any further questions?

Please ask your GP if you have any questions regarding the referral process.