Kidney Care UK's national Patient Support & Advocacy Service covers the UK and provides in-depth information, support and representation to patients, their families or carers, and local Kidney Patient Associations on a range of issues. This includes:
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- Treatment options
- Dialysis Away From Base (a service for arranging dialysis on holidays and trips away)
- Benefits, welfare and employment advice
- Access to Kidney Care UK's patient support services, such as counselling and financial grants
- Patient transport
- Emotional health and living well
The Patient Support & Advocacy Service is sensitive, compassionate and confidential. It provides one-to-one help over the phone or, where appropriate and required, in person.
It can also be a gateway to the other patient support services offered by Kidney Care UK, such as financial grants and counselling.
Please note: we are unable to give medical advice and we cannot visit patients in their home.
How to contact our Patient Support & Advocacy Service
If you wish to contact your local Patient Support & Advocacy Officer, please use one of the methods below. This will put you in touch with our team at head office, who will refer you to the team member in your region.
- Contact us through our online form
- Email us at [email protected]
Call us on 01420 541424 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is about taking action on behalf of people. Every week, we receive hundreds of enquiries about benefits, housing, transport, dialysis choices, employment and simply managing day-to-day life. Our Patient Support & Advocacy Service helps people living with kidney disease to gain access to the right people, services and help, and to ensure every patient is properly represented.
We have a network of Patient Support & Advocacy Officers spread throughout the UK, who are all trained to listen and advise patients, and also to fight their corner. This means being persistent, resilient and challenging when the need arises. Our team often act as a bridge between the patient and renal units, local authorities, the Department for Work & Pensions and local MPs.
I am so glad I picked up the phone that day. I had been a bit reckless with my medicine and my diet because I felt so helpless, but with my advocacy officer's help I was able to find my way.
Tom Kidney patient
Our Patient Support & Advocacy Officers
Each of our Patient Support & Advocacy Officers is responsible for a region of the UK:
- Matt Bassett - Head of Advocacy
- Claire Maddison - Northern Ireland and Devolved Nations (Lead Support)
- Claire Joyce - The South, London and East of England (Lead Support)
- Joanna Bates - North of England (Lead Support)
- Ewen Maclean - East Scotland
- Liz Docherty - West Scotland
- Maxie Coburn-Burke - East Scotland
- Linzi Isaac - Wales
- Sandy Lines - East Midlands and East of England
- Ellen Hill - London
- Jonathan Bartley - London
- Helen Richards - North West England
- Trish Moroney - South West England
- Giulietta Whitmore - West Midlands
- Karolina Holewińska-Suchanek - Yorkshire and Humber
Renal social workers
As well as Kidney Care UK's Patient Support & Advocacy Service, you might benefit from speaking to a renal social worker.
Renal social workers are qualified social workers who work in collaboration with other members of the kidney multi-disciplinary team in hospitals and dialysis units. They also have direct links with local authority social work teams and specialist charities.
Renal social workers are skilled in offering practical support and advice to children, young people, adults and carers living with kidney disease.
Find out more about how renal social workers might be able help you, or download our free patient information leaflet about the work renal social workers do.
