- Reference Number: HEY1421/2023
- Departments: Renal Service
- Last Updated: 30 April 2023
How to get in touch with the Renal Social Worker
If you are having haemodialysis please speak to a member of staff on the haemodialysis unit where you are having your treatment. They can put you in touch with the Haemodialysis Specialist Renal Social Worker who covers your unit. You can get in touch on: mob: 07787 410961 or tel: 01482 608758.
All other renal patients, including their family or carers, can contact the Specialist Renal Social Worker Service, this would include people in the pre-dialysis/low clearance clinic, peritoneal dialysis patients, hospital admission, as well as pre or post-transplant.
This can be done by speaking to your Renal Consultant, Nurse or by ringing tel: 01482 300300 (and follow verbal prompts) or mob: 07917 805883 and leave a message for the Specialist Renal Social Worker.
People can be seen in out-patient clinics, on the ward, on the dialysis units and even at home by arrangement.
Useful Contacts
KidneyCare UK
webside: www.Kidneycareuk.org
National Kidney Federation
Kidney patient’s helpline – tel: 0845 601 0209
website: www.kidney.org
Carers UK
website: www.carersuk.org
Age UK Advice Line
website: www.ageuk.org.uk
Benefits advice including benefits advice for Carers
website: www.gov.uk
UK National Kidney Federation
Lots of benefits advice and other useful information
website: www.kidney.org.uk
Citizens Advice Bureau
For free advice on many issues. Look in the phone book for your local branch.
website: www.nacab.org.uk
website: www.adviceguide.org.uk
Hull City Council Social Care Adults
tel: 01482 300300 (follow verbal prompts)
North Lincs Adult Social Care
North East Lincs (Grimsby) Adult Social Care
The Renal Social Worker can help with all sorts of things such as providing information, advice and support to all renal patients.
The service is available to:
- Clinic outpatients
- In patients
- Dialysis patients, in a unit or at home
- Patients awaiting transplantation
- Patients who have already had a transplant
- Patients who are not receiving dialysis
- Families and carers of renal patients
- Pre-dialysis patients
Having renal failure after all, does not just affect the individual; it impacts on the family as well.
The Specialist Renal Worker is a qualified social worker and works with other medical professionals on the renal team who support patients, families and carers.
How the Renal Social Worker can help you
Some of the issues that you may need help with could be:
- Benefits – help to work out what you may be entitled to and assistance with completing forms.
- Finances – offer advice about bills, debt management and the possibility of getting help from renal charities, for example, taking a holiday.
- Housing – help to apply for housing, transfer to more suitable accommodation, or getting adaptations done.
- Practical help at home – provide information about the help that is available from your local Social Services Department and how to access this help. The Renal Social Worker can also work with a renal patient to complete an Assessment of Need which will identify goals, outcomes and risks. This will lead to a comprehensive care package being completed so that services can be put in place.
- Aids and Equipment – making referrals to Occupational Therapists.
- Social care – offer advice on and make referrals for support at home.
- Relatives and carers – give advice about getting practical help, relief or respite for carers. This could include services to enable the carer to have a short break, go to work or even undertake higher education.
- Work issues – help to understand your rights as an employee.
- Legal issues – offer advice and information about immigration issues, power of attorney and making wills.
If you have any other concerns that are not covered in the list above you can still contact the Specialist Renal Social Worker for advice and support.
General Advice and Consent
Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.
Consent to treatment
Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.
The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:
- you must be able to give your consent
- you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
- you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person
Information about you
We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.
We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.
If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.