West London Renal and Transplant Centre Welcome to Northwick Park Renal Centre Information for patients, relatives and carers Introduction The renal centre is located on Level 2, J Block and is accessible for wheelchair users. Northwick Park Hospital is a 62 station dialysis centre and provides dialysis treatment for patients in and around the Harrow area. It is the largest renal centre in west London. We manage the demand for the service by dividing our patients into teams. Each team is staffed by: a team leader(s), senior staff nurses, staff nurses and health care assistants. The teams are split as follows: Green Purple Red Blue Silver Aqua 11 machines 5 machines 10 machines We run a twilight shift on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings and the patients are again split into five teams. The unit is open from: 07.30 00.30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to provide three patient shifts 07.30 19.30 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to provide two patient shifts Each member of staff wears a name badge and a Trust identify badge complete with their photograph. Our staff will also introduce themselves to you when you first start your dialysis. Who is who? There is a head nurse (modern matron) for the dialysis area. Her role includes ensuring high standards of patient care are maintained. To support her there are two operational managers. You can also see individual named nurses by checking on the noticeboard displayed in the purple team by the wheelchair scales.
Please leave valuable items at home as the dialysis unit or the Trust cannot be held responsible for your property during your time spent with us. What happens when I arrive for dialysis? please wait in the waiting area while the dialysis machines are prepared you will be asked to record your pre-dialysis weight then sit in your allocated chair until the nurse is ready to treat you your blood pressure will be taken blood samples will be taken at least on a monthly basis to ensure that the results from the samples are in a suitable range for the patient and therefore dialysis treatment is optimal for them. If you are unsure why additional bloods are being taken please ask and the nurse looking after you will explain. What happens during dialysis? Once you have started your dialysis treatment, you will be offered a hot or cold drink. We also provide biscuits but it is recommended that you bring a packed lunch. The amount of hours spent on dialysis can vary, three times a week for four and a half hours each time is the average. To help pass the time there are ceiling mounted televisions to watch but please bring your own headphones. The same nurses will stay in your patient team while you have dialysis. They will answer any questions or concerns you may have. You can use this time to ask for your blood results and learn more about your condition or treatment. If you wish to discuss anything in private we have a quiet room which is located in the green team area. If you want to use this facility please ask the nurse-in-charge for the key, however, you will need to be supervised by a staff member while you are in this area for health and safety reasons. Doctors rounds There are two consultant nephrologists that look after patients at Northwick Park Hospital. Dr Megan Griffith - is on duty every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Dr Neill Duncan - is on duty every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Sister Claire Edwards is responsible for patient reviews every Monday or Thursday and patients will be advised ahead of time when they will be seen and who by. Patients who are on the twilight shift are looked after on a shared basis by Dr Griffith and Dr Duncan. You can choose if you would like to be seen while you are on the dialysis machine or in the clinic room. Please ensure you bring your current medications to every clinic visit. You will be reviewed on a regular basis and will be advised accordingly by nurses. 2
If you have a health problem that is not due to your kidney disease please see your GP. If you are prescribed any additional medication please let the renal team know prior to starting the medication. They need to know because some medications can be harmful to take when you have renal disease or you may require the dosage of the medication(s) to be reduced. It is strongly advised that you do not purchase over the counter or herbal remedies as these too may affect your condition. Please make sure you always have a stock of repeat medication ordered from your GP as there may not be a prescriber/doctor available at the renal unit to give you a stop gap prescription if you run out of your drugs. Close family and friends are welcome to attend your clinic appointments but we do not encourage them to stay with you during routine dialysis treatment this is for health and safety reasons as space is limited within the dialysis unit. Translators can be provided if necessary please make us aware that you will require this service as soon as possible so we are able to action this request in plenty of time for your visit. Please note there are strict criteria s to book translators and your needs will be assessed according to this. Contact hospital address and dialysis unit telephone numbers Northwick Park Renal Centre Northwick Park Hospital Watford Road Harrow Middlesex HA1 3UJ Green team 020 8869 3243 Red & Blue teams 020 8869 3242 Silver team 020 8869 5292 Aqua team 020 8869 3553 Sister office 020 8869 3245 Head nurse office 020 8869 5821 Office fax 020 8869 5291 General information Visitors are not encouraged however, when you first start dialysis or if you are unwell we understand you may need support from your loved one(s). Please do not smoke in the wards, departments, corridors and grounds within Northwick Park Hospital. If you need patient transport please ask to be assessed and be aware that you may be reassessed at regular intervals. 3
If you want to drive to the hospital you can park in the day-care centre in car park number three. Please speak to our administration team within the dialysis unit for more details. We are part of the Imperial College teaching hospital, and you may be asked if you would like to participate in research projects, which may be in the form of questionnaires, blood tests, examinations or clinical trials. The staff assigned to each project will approach you, if appropriate. They will explain the aim of the project, what it will entail and obtain your signed consent to participate. You have the right to refuse to participate and this will not affect your future treatment or care Renal services has access to a team of trained counsellors and a social support worker, if you have not received their contact details please speak to your team nurse who will give you the information. Renal dieticians visit the unit at least twice a month, you will be seen soon after starting dialysis, and reviewed twice yearly or more frequently if required. Facilities In the main hospital on level four there is a selection of shops including hairdressers, canteen, area for spiritual quiet reflection, cash machine, league of friends a grocery and coffee shop. Sometimes other goods are on sale in the market place by visiting sales people. We also have a small selection of books which you are welcome to borrow. Please return the books when you have finished reading them. What do I do if I am unwell? If you need advice immediately and the dialysis unit is open please call us and ask to speak to the nurse in charge or your team leader. If you need to call 999 and attend A&E you must ask the A&E staff to contact the renal registrar at Hammersmith Hospital to advise them of your admission. If Northwick Park Hospital is closed please call De Wardner Unit to speak to a doctor or senior nurse. There is also a Rapid Assessment Unit at west London renal transplant centre, this is managed by a team of nurses who will assess your condition and refer you as required call: 0208 383 6604. Northwick Park Hospital is a nurse led centre with no on site specialist renal cover. If you are admitted to hospital, you will be transferred to one of the wards at west London renal transplant centre. o De Wardner call 020 8383 6690 o Kerr Ward call 020 8383 6705 o Handfield Jones call 020 8383 6676 o Peters Ward call 020 8363 6661 4
How do I make a comment about my visit? We aim to provide the best possible service and staff will be happy to answer any of the questions you may have. If you have any suggestions or comments about your visit, please either speak to a member of staff or contact the patient advice and liaison service (PALS) on 020 3313 0088 (Charing Cross, Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte s & Chelsea hospitals), or 020 3312 7777 (St Mary s and Western Eye hospitals). You can also email PALS at pals@imperial.nhs.uk. The PALS team will listen to your concerns, suggestions or queries and is often able to help solve problems on your behalf. Alternatively, you may wish to express your concerns in writing to: Complaints department Fourth floor, Salton House St Mary s Hospital Praed Street London W2 1NY Alternative formats This leaflet can be provided on request in large print, as a sound recording, in Braille, or in alternative languages. Please contact the communications team on 020 3312 5592. Wi-fi We have a free wi-fi service for basic filtered browsing and a premium wi-fi service (requiring payment) at each of our five hospitals. Look for WiFiSPARK_FREE or WiFiSPARK_PREMIUM West London Renal and Transplant Centre Published: Jan 2017 Review date: Jan 2020 Reference no: 794 refresh Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 5