Welcome to the renal young adult service at the Wessex Kidney Centre. We know that transitioning to adult services from paediatrics can be a challenging time. The Young Adult service is designed to support young patients as they transition into adult services until they are 25 years old.
How we can support you
Clinics
The main clinics are held at Queen Alexandra Hospital on the fourth Friday of the month and Southampton General Hospital on the second Tuesday of the month. There are extra clinics run throughout the week to meet the needs of the young people if needed.
Dialysis
Having dialysis can be a daunting thought, we make every effort we can to provide you with a treatment that will suit you and your lifestyle. You will have a specialist team to talk you through each step and help you to make decisions. The Youth Worker will be available to talk you through each step.
The Youth Worker is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday and some evenings/weekends. If you would like to speak with them, please call or text 0787 4886 875.
They can give emotional and practical support about anything that you need help with. Some examples are:
- Finding taking medication hard
- Getting to appointments
- Relationships with family and or partners
- Education/work
- Feeling low/anxious
- Needing a referral to different service (counselling, housing, mental health, etc.)
- Support when staying in hospital or having a procedure
- Moving to adult services
- Sexual Health
- Patient buddy system
- Anything else you may need to talk about.
When you move to adult services some things that your parents or carers have been responsible for may start to be your own responsibility. This includes ordering and collecting prescriptions. We can show you how to do this, and there are several options available.
Many patients will need to start to pay for prescriptions. To help keep the cost low, you can get a prepayment prescription. With this you can get as many items as you need for one up-front charge. Please follow this link for more information.
You may have been introduced to the 'Ready, Steady, Go' programme if you were a patient in paediatrics. We do the Hello questionnaire when young adults come to use in our young adult clinic. This is designed to check you are okay in general as well as your renal condition. This website has lots of information about it and lots more.
Having kidney disease can impact your ability to work and can cause financial strain. Please don't suffer along, there is help available. If you are struggling, please talk to our youth worker who can help.
Grants are also available from Kidney Care UK and the Wessex Kidney Patient Association. Ways they can help include:
- Driving lessons
- Laptops for college/university
- Paying for a tutor to help with exams
- New furniture to replace broken furniture
- Help with debt
There are a number of services that can offer you counselling support. More details can be found below.
The renal team includes counsellors that can talk to you about any issues you may be experiencing, not solely those related to your condition. Please contact Gemma if you would like to be referred to the counselling team.
MIND - offer helpful information on anxiety, isolation, low mood, social isolation etc. on its website www.
Yellow Door, Southampton (advice, counselling, sexual health): 02380 636 312
It’s Your Choice, Southampton (advice, counselling, sexual health): 02380 864 231
Winchester Youth Counselling: 01962 820 444
Isle of Wight Youth Trust (advice, counselling, sexual health): 01983 529 569
Off the Record, SE Hants - Leigh Park (advice and counselling): 02392 785 999
Andover Mind: 07464805944
YPI Counselling, Basingstoke: 01256 423892
Papyrus Hopeline (for people aged under 35 who feel suicidal): 0800 0684141
Samaritans: call 116 123 or email jo
Italk (takes self-referrals, but there are waiting lists): 02380 383 920
Beat (Youthline for those with eating disorders): 0808 801 0711
Anxiety UK helpline: 034 4477 5774
Below are some links that you may find useful:
- infoKID: online resources for parents and carers about kidney conditions in infants, children and young people
- Polycystic Kidney Disease Charity
- Kidney Care UK
- Alport UK: support for people living with Alport Syndrome
- Kidney Research UK
Here at Wessex Kidney centre, we want to make sure our Young Adult patients know who to contact in all situations.
The below information includes details of the team or individuals that should be your points of contact and in what circumstance you should get in touch.
Anything to do with your clinic appointment, requesting blood forms / blood results and general non- medical enquiries
- Sian Phillips (PHU): 02392 286000 and ext. 1012 or sian.phillips@porthosp.nhs.uk
- Dawn Lane (UHS): 02380 777222 and ext. 4188 or nephrologyadmin@uhs.nhs.uk
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Medical issues that aren’t related to your kidney condition.
- Please contact your GP directly, as per your practice opening hours.
Non-urgent medical issues / general questions that are related to your kidney condition
- Consultant Nephrologist: renalyoungadults
@porthosp.nhs.uk - Please note, this inbox is not monitored constantly and we aim to respond within three days.
Emotional and practical support needs, and general questions
- Gemma Hockey, Renal Youth Worker: renalyoungadults
@porthosp.nhs.uk or 07874886875 - Please note, this inbox is not monitored constantly and we aim to respond within three days. We aim to respond to text messages within 24-48 hours (excluding weekends). Please don't use these details for urgent enquiries.
Sudden onset of illness which you think is related to your kidney condition or urgent renal concerns such as a clotted fistula
- Renal on-call doctor: 02392 286000 and ask to be transferred to the renal on-call doctor
Emergency e.g. Uncontrollable bleeding from fistula / graft
- Call 999 and ask for emergency support from the ambulance service
Anaemia related concerns including delivery queries for EPO and dose clarification
- Renal Anaemia specialists: 02392 286000 and ext. 6641
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Transplant medications including delivery queries and dose clarification
- Renal Pharmacists: 02392 286000 and ext. 3361
- If your query relates to home care, you can also email pho-tr.
kidneymeds @nhs.net - Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Transplantation queries: pre-transplant (if you are active on the list) and post-transplant
- Transplant nurses: 02392 286000 and ext. 1069
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Advanced Kidney Care queries including general information about dialysis options
- Advanced Kidney Care Specialist Nurse: 02392 286000 and ext. 1049/1033 or pho-tr.akcpatientcontact@nhs.net
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm
Dieticians
- Contact the team directly: 02392 286000 and ext. 1014/1016 or renal.dietitians@porthosp.nhs.uk
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 8.30am-4.30pm. We aim to respond to emails within three days.
Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) queries
- PD team: 01489 587411 or call 02392 286000- bleep 1572
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 7.30am-5pm. The bleep is available for urgent queries at weekends/Bank Holidays from 8am-8pm.