Renal anaemia--the patient experience

In progress within the United Kingdom (UK) is the provision of a National Service Framework (NSF) for Renal Services. The Renal NSF aims to raise standards, provide equity of care, reduce variations in services and improve the health care of renal patients (1). The Renal NSF will be published in four distinct modules, each relating to a major area of renal care: effective delivery of dialysis, transplantation, prevention and primary care and alternative models of care. Taking into account the opinions of patients based on national surveys, has been recognised as an essential component in the modernisation programme of the NHS (2), and therefore this national survey represents consultation on current service provision. In 2000, the UK's National Kidney Federation (NKF) (supported by an educational grant from Amgen Ltd) conducted a postal survey of UK patients with renal diseases. This paper provides the patient perspective on anaemia management from this survey together with the implications for clinical practice for nurses and renal healthcare teams.