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May 2025
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Chair’s Spring Chatter Hello all, and welcome to my Chair’s Spring Chatter, apologies if it is somewhat brief. I hope that you are all keeping well and enjoying a wonderfully sunny spring and looking forward to the summer ahead. Many of us will have plans for summer breaks, with destinations both near and far. Over the past few years, I have a greater appreciation for how valuable downtime is, and how important it is to take time for relaxation. 2025, so what’s in a number, what’s important about this year? Well, 2025 sees ART turn 50! I wonder if the early founding members could have foreseen how healthcare and the technology would advance at the pace it has. I also find myself wondering if they could have foreseen the many changes and challenges that the NHS has and continues to face. Whilst we are in an extremely challenging time, with many changes taking place across the NHS, and with huge budget cuts, let’s focus on something more positive, the ART National Conference. We are delighted to announce that ART will celebrate our 50th year at the ART National Conference taking place on 30th and 31st October in Telford. Peter Jones is doing a grand job, and we are all looking forward to a very exciting programme of topics and speakers. We will have a presentation celebrating 50 years of ART. We will also hear about the ART Training Scheme and our developing partnership with the University of West England. ART’s affiliation with UKKA will feature, as will water standards and guidelines, sustainability, high volume HDF and electrical safety. Not only am I looking forward to the presentations but also seeing members past and present at conference. Demand for places is expected to be high, so if not already registered I encourage you to do so without delay. The ART website continues to go from strength to strength, and this is an invaluable resource for us all. Thanks go to Ian Wilde and Drew Blackmore for their work as Website Administrators and I am sure they would both welcome any suggestions that you may have. The website is yours so let us keep it evolving. Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all members of the committee, without them all and their unwavering support there would be no ART. Take care. Kindest regards Roger Moore – ART Chair |
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December 2024
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Chairs Christmas Chatter
Hello and welcome to my Chair’s Christmas Chatter. As we near the end of 2024 I find myself wondering where the time has gone, I reflect on 2024, and thoughts turn to 2025 may bring. One thing for certain is that 2025 will be the 50th year of ART and we plan to celebrate this at next year’s National Conference. The cost-of-living remains high and whilst not the crisis it once was, may continue to challenge many of us. 2024 saw a change in our domestic political climate with Labour taking the seat of power from the Conservatives. Internationally 2025 will see a change in the US Presidency with President Trump making a return and taking office for a second time. Whilst looking at the international stage we see the pain and devastation caused by the continuing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict which has now also encompassed parts of Lebanon. Turning back to ART 2024 saw a successful ART National Conference. We saw a variety of excellent presentations which generated a great deal of healthy debate. The Conference was very well attended and once again Peter Jones did an excellent job, thank you Peter. Thanks also to all other members of the committee for their contributions in the planning of conference and throughout the event itself. If you attended, I hope that the Conference met your expectations and if you were unable to attend then I and the other committee members hope to see you at the 2025 National Conference which marks the 50th anniversary of ART. As 2024 draws to a close and we head into 2025 the NHS to face huge pressures, and incredibly challenging financial constraints. Whilst we continue to face challenging times in the year ahead and beyond, I still strongly believe that the professionalism and dedication of all those working for the NHS will see us doing the absolute best that we can for every one of our patients. We should also not forget our industry colleagues who have been no less affected by the knock-on effect of the challenges from within the NHS and the demands placed on their supply chains and services and working with us to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients. Through good times and bad we are always here for our patients, their families, and friends. I firmly and genuinely believe that what we do does indeed make a difference to people’s lives, and this is due to your passion and dedication, we may not always realise it or indeed see it but, yes, we do really make a difference. As well as being here for our patients we should not forget that we are also here for our colleagues, the support that we provide to each other is invaluable and should never be forgotten. Now more than ever we need our support networks, So, be proud to call yourselves Renal Technologists, and be proud of the professional association that we belong to, our association, our ART!! I would now like to draw my Chatter to a close, by wishing you and your loved ones, on behalf of the ART Executive Committee a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Kindest regards Roger Moore – ART Chair |
June 2024
With Great Sadness
It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of the passing of Len Buttle.
If you have been in the renal industry since the early years you may well have known him.
He was the financial director of Gambro UK from the early 1980’s until 2000.
A provisional date of 18th June has been set for the funeral at Basildon and District Crematorium in Pitsea.
Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, children and grandchildren.
It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of the passing of Len Buttle.
If you have been in the renal industry since the early years you may well have known him.
He was the financial director of Gambro UK from the early 1980’s until 2000.
A provisional date of 18th June has been set for the funeral at Basildon and District Crematorium in Pitsea.
Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, children and grandchildren.
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December 2023
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A sad loss to our renal tech family
On behalf of our friends at Baxter, we are saddened to bring you the news that our dear friend and colleague Graeme Buchanan lost his battle with cancer sadly on the night of Sunday 18th February. Graeme was a long standing and valued member of the Baxter Healthcare team, based in the north of England. Graeme worked in the Renal arena for over 20 years, not only in the North of the UK but from Stornoway to Jersey (literally spanning the furthest ends of the UK). If that was not enough, Graeme also worked in Australia for around 7 years during his time with us. Graeme was extremely experienced (if not the most experienced within the team) and became an extension to many of the hospitals teams. Although Graeme was one of the quieter members of the team, he was always ready to support and give advice to members of his team. Outside of work Graeme loved his football, and I am sure he was very happy when Rangers were at the top of the league at the weekend. Before Christmas, he left Bolton and went back up to Scotland to be close to his parents and siblings. He will be sadly missed by all his colleagues. We now wish him peace, and offer our deepest condolences to the family. |
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October 2023
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Chair's Conference 2023 Chatter
Hello all and welcome to my Chair’s Conference Chatter. I am incredibly pleased to report that ART had an extremely successful conference at what is new venue for ART, Telford Hotel, 5th and 6th October. Conference is only possible because of the sterling efforts by Peter Jones and along with support from all members of the ART Executive Committee, both the preparation and during conference itself. The success of conference also relies on the presenters who kindly take the time to prepare and deliver their talks, our colleagues from industry who put on an excellent exhibition and you the delegates, without which there would be no conference. My most sincere thanks to all and this also includes the hotel staff. The opening presentation at conference was delivered by Mike Jones and was a case study on Leicester water quality. An excellent presentation and just the start we wanted for what, I believe, was a highly successful conference. Coffee and exhibition time was then followed by a very engaging workshop. This was led by Peter Jones, delegates split into groups and tasked with drawing up plans and requirements for setting up a renal unit. The afternoon session of day one opened with Becky Hill leading our second workshop session, looking at water, contamination, and infection. This proved to be another very engaging session and from delegate comments was of real benefit. Day one ended with an update on the ART Education and Training Scheme, delivered by our very own Stephen Palmer. Pausing for a moment I want to take this opportunity to thank the ART Education Group for everything that they do to ensure that ART and its members have access to a brilliant training scheme. Following this the afternoon closed with the ART AGM, which was well attended by ART members. Thursday evening saw us gather for evening dinner, after which we saw the presentation of prizes for the golf day which included the inaugural Paul Roome Trophy. The golf day being held on the Wednesday afternoon prior to conference. In my Chair’s after dinner speech, we remembered our dearly departed colleague Dave Coffey and recognised the long service of Dave Leong’s career, nearly 46 years which is a superhuman achievement. Well done Dave Leong! Day two of conference opened with Dr Isabella Centeleghe, Postdoctoral Research Assistant at Cardiff University talking about dry surface biofilm. This was an eye-opening presentation and except for Dr Centeleghe, none of the delegates had ever heard of dry surface biofilms. I believe that this will soon become a hot topic across all areas of healthcare, watch this space! An excellent conference was drawn to a close with a presentation from our very own Peter Jones on ‘ART the Future’. Very thought provoking as several ART Executive Committee members are likely to retire five years from now. ART really does need members to come forward to ensure that ART as a professional body survives and is there to continue serving its members for many years to come. We will endeavour to place as many of these presentations as is possible on the ART website in due course. The quality and variety of topics presented made for an excellent conference and I hope that it lived up to your expectations. I hope that it will encourage you to attend future conferences and that you tell your colleagues in the hope that they may also attend. You may also want to consider presenting at conference and if so, the ART committee would be more than happy to help you prepare and deliver your talk. We are also considering poster presentations for future conferences. Kindest regards Roger Moore – ART Chair |
October 2023
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August 2022
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Chairman’s Summer Chatter
Hello one and all and welcome to my Chairman’s Summer Chatter and as I sit here typing I realise that the daylight hours have started to shorten. But let’s not dwell on that and enjoy the well-deserved holidays or breaks that I’m sure you have planned in the coming weeks and months. The past couple of years has shown how valuable downtime is, it is precious time that we should make the most of. In my Summer Chatter 2022 Closer we were experiencing the rising cost of living, sadly this is continuing, and we hope that you, your families and loved ones are not unduly affected by this. 5th July marks the 75th anniversary of the NHS and ART has been with us for 48 of those years. We have seen many advancements in technology and how this is applied to the diagnosis and treatment of patients across our four nations. The NHS has always evolved and adapted to meet the needs of each successive generation. We have also seen many changes in the NHS itself, some of these changes being very challenging for the many professions and staff groups who work tirelessly day after day for the good of our patients. As we look ahead, embracing innovations will be critical in enabling the NHS to deliver better outcomes for our growing population. This means using IT and data more effectively; integrating health and social care; getting better at preventing illness, and not just treating it. None of this innovation will be possible without the skill and expertise of NHS staff, our partners in industry, and our partners in the social care sector. As we mark 75 years of the NHS, we should look back on our achievements, and ahead to the opportunities to shape the next 75 years. We need to tackle the challenges ahead and embrace future opportunities. Please consider sharing your memories of your journey working within the NHS, what the NHS means to you, and your thoughts on what lies ahead, and how ART can influence and shape this. Staying on the theme of looking ahead plans are well underway the 2023 ART National Conference on 5th and 6th October. This year’s conference sees us heading to a new conference venue, The Telford Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort. Peter Jones is once again rising to the challenge and along with the help and support of fellow committee members we are all looking forward to a very exciting programme of topics and speakers. The hotel is in the heart of Shropshire and close to the historic town of Ironbridge. Demand for places is expected to be high so if not already registered I encourage you to do so without delay. Work continues for ART to affiliate with UKKA, both organisations are working together to move forward, putting in place the necessary systems, processes, and procedures for the formal affiliation between ART and the UKKA, taking us into a new and exciting future. Later this year there will be communications to encourage ART members to move their membership to UKKA and this will clearly identify you as an ART member, we are not losing our identity but rather reaping the benefits of being affiliated to a much larger organisation. We need to continue our exploration of ART retaining its registered charity status, the advantages, and disadvantages of removing ART as a registered charity and coming under the auspices of the UKKA’s registered charity. Internally ART will review our constitution, revise accordingly if deemed necessary and take to the ART membership. The ART website continues to go from strength to strength, and thanks go to Ian Wilde for his work as Website Administrator and I am sure Ian would welcome any suggestions that you may have. The website is yours so let us keep it evolving. Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all members of the committee, without them all and their unwavering support there would be no ART. Enjoy the summer and I look forward to meeting many of you at conference. Kindest regards Roger Moore – ART Chair |
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December 2022
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Chairman’s Christmas Chatter
Hello one and all and welcome to my Chair’s Christmas Chatter. As I sit here typing I find myself wondering just where has 2022 gone and we wait with bated breath/trepidation to see what 2023 brings with the cost of living crisis, industrial action across many sections and the conflict in Ukraine. This year saw the return of ART National Conference after our enforced absence of the past couple of years. It was so good to meet once again face-to-face and to welcome new delegates. The presentations were excellent and generated a great deal of healthy debate. The Conference was very well attended despite the pressures that many find in securing funding and study leave approval. Peter Jones never fails as Conference Organiser and once again did an excellent job, thank you Peter. Thanks also to all other members of the committee for their contributions in the planning of conference and throughout the event itself. If you attended, I hope that the Conference met your expectations and if you were unable to attend then I and the other committee members hope to see you at the 2023 National Conference. Plans are being formulated to find ways that ART can help to fund attendance for members at conference. As 2022 draws to a close the NHS has seen another year where it has been under huge pressures, both financially and with increased ambulance wait and discharge times. There are as always challenging times ahead but I’m sure that the professionalism and dedication of all those working for the NHS will see us through a tough winter period and take us into 2023 with one thought in mind which is to do the very best that we can for each and every one of our patients. Let us not lose sight of why we are here, it is for our patients, their families, and friends. We truly do make a difference to people’s lives and this is due to your passion and dedication, we may not always realise it or indeed see it but we really do make a difference. Be proud to call yourselves Renal Technologists!! So as my brief (yes I hear your cheers) Chatter draws to a close I hope that you can see that once again it has been a very busy year for ART. It only remains for me on behalf of the ART Executive Committee to wish you and your loved ones a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Kindest regards Roger Moore – ART Chair |
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November 2022
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Chairman’s Conference Chatter Hello all and welcome to my Chair’s Conference Chatter. First, I hope that you and your families are keeping well in what continues to be challenging times, particularly with the ever-increasing cost of living. I am very pleased to say that ART had an extremely successful conference at Crewe Hall Hotel on 20th and 21st October following our enforced break in 2020 and 2021. The conference was only possible because of the sterling effort by Peter Jones and all members of the ART Executive Committee who supported Peter in both the preparation and during conference itself. The success of conference is not only down to the efforts of Peter and committee but also down to the presenters who kindly took the time to prepare and deliver their talks, our colleagues from industry who put on an excellent exhibition and you the delegates, without which there would be no conference. My most sincere thanks to all and this also includes the hotel staff. The opening presentation at conference was about Green Nephrology UKKA and was delivered through a pre-recorded presentation as the speaker could not attend. This is a subject that I am sure we will all be involved in, given the high prominence of sustainability and how we meet targets such as carbon neutral and net zero. What did you think of a pre-recorded presentation, and should we see more of these at future conferences? There then followed a very interesting presentation delivered by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, an organisation new to many of us. It will be interesting to see the reports that come from HSIB as they investigate incidents that have occurred in healthcare settings, lessons learned and what may be implemented as a result. Our very own Stephen Palmer then presented on the relaunch of the ART Training Scheme, an excellent presentation, thank you Stephen. We then had a first-time presenter on the topic of Air Bubble Detection. The delivery of this presentation was excellent and even included an anecdote on a close encounter with a snake, yes you read that right, a snake! The afternoon of first day of conference saw us welcome our keynote speaker, Dr Roger Greenwood, who delivered a most interesting and educational presentation on Incremental Dialysis. If you have not heard of this, then I urge you to read more on this subject and one article can be found here https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19240122/ Day one presentations ended with a presentation from MHRA highlighting their role as regulatory and how reports such as Yellow Card submissions are dealt with. Following this the afternoon was closed with the ART AGM, which was well attended by ART members. Thursday evening saw us gather in the Long Gallery for dinner during which our very own Gerry Boyle hosted a quiz. After dinner saw the presentation of prizes for the golf day which had been held on the Wednesday afternoon prior to conference. This was followed by Gareth Murcutt delivering his after-dinner speech with included many amusing anecdotes and for the second time at conference a snake story. We have waited years for a snake story and then you find that two come along at the same conference! Day two of conference opened with Dr Paul Cockwell talking about the UKKA and how the future affiliated relationship between ART and UKKA may develop in the coming years. An excellent conference was drawn to a close with a presentation from our very own Peter Jones on the Leeds Green Nephrology Award Winning Project. This provided a very nice symmetry to conference as we opened and closed on Green Nephrology and clearly a sign of how important this area will be to us all. We will endeavour to place as many of these presentations as is possible on the ART website in due course. I firmly believe that the quality and variety of topics presented made for an excellent conference and I hope that it lived up to your expectations. I hope that it will encourage you to attend future conferences and that you tell your colleagues in the hope that they may also attend. You may also want to consider presenting at conference and if so, the ART committee would be more than happy to help you prepare and deliver your talk. We are also considering poster presentations for future conferences. Kindest regards Roger Moore – ART Chairman |
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August 2022
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Chairman’s Summer Chatter Hello one and all and welcome to my Chairman’s Summer Chatter and most sincere apologies for lack of a Chatter in the past few months (I really must do better). I hope that you are all keeping well and enjoying the summer, our first full summer out of lockdown. For large parts of the UK, we have already experienced a brief heatwave and as I write this it looks as though we may have another from midweek and heading into the weekend. This year more than ever I am sure many of you will have taken much needed and well-deserved holidays or may have plans to take a break in the coming weeks. The past couple of years has shown how valuable downtime is, and I for one have a new appreciation of the fine places that we have closer to home and the relaxation that they can bring. Whilst the impact of Covid has considerable lessened we have nevertheless seen and experienced other events that may have impacted on our personal and professional lives. We, at ART, send our thoughts and prayers to those who may have been affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Closer to home the cost of living continues to rise, and we hope that you, your families and loved ones are not unduly affected by this. Rising costs and supply chain difficulties are impacting on our working lives and let us hope that this is a brief storm. As ever our focus will always be on ensuring that our patients are not affected and that we continue to deliver the high levels of service expected of us. On a positive note, we are extremely pleased that 2022 sees us planning for the ART National Conference on 20th and 21st October at Crewe Hall. Peter Jones, as ever is doing a grand job and we are all looking forward to a very exciting programme of topics and speakers. Not only am I looking forward to the presentations but also seeing many of you in person at conference. Demand for places is expected to be high so if not already registered I encourage you to do so without delay. As you may recall ART members voted ‘Yes’ for ART to affiliate with UKKA and both organisations are working together to map out and move forward with putting in place the necessary systems, processes, and procedures for the formal affiliation between ART and the UKKA, taking us into a new and exciting future. This dialogue will also include exploration of ART retaining its registered charity status, the advantages, and disadvantages of removing ART as a registered charity and coming under the auspices of the UKKA’s registered charity. Internally ART will review our constitution, revise accordingly if deemed necessary and take to the ART membership. The ART website continues to go from strength to strength, and this has been invaluable during the recent times when face to face meeting has not been possible. Thanks go to Ian Wilde for his work as Website Administrator and I am sure Ian would welcome any suggestions that you may have. The website is yours so let us keep it evolving. Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all members of the committee, without them all and their unwavering support there would be no ART. Take care and stay safe. Kindest regards Roger Moore – ART Chair |
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July 2022
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Patient Reported Experience of Kidney Care in the UK 2021
The Kidney PREM report for 2021 is based on the responses of 12,416 kidney patients across the United Kingdom (UK) to the annual Kidney PREM survey. The Kidney PREM working group is a balanced mix of clinicians, researchers, charities and patients in which each has equal status. This is the fifth round of Kidney PREM data collection, following validation of the measure in 2017/181 . The UK Kidney Association and Kidney Care UK present this as the most comprehensive report to date, drawing fully on the range of questions asked within each theme of care. This, supported by a qualitative analysis of written comments, provides a holistic view of patient experience of care as reported in 2021. Download the full report below. 
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January 2021
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Douglas Macallister Retires.
Douglas Macallister Area Sales Manager in Scotland for Veolia Water Technologies has retired in January 2021. Douglas was well known in the renal community in Scotland as a reliable and responsive person to help with the design and operation of purified water systems. His expertise and personality will be missed at Veolia and in the Scottish renal community. As Douglas says: “Through my many years working on renal projects, I have learned much about the function and criticality of renal dialysis and the part that water treatment plays in this. I have made many friends along the way. I am honoured by the trust and confidence placed in me by the renal community during my career, and will remember the warm welcome that I have always received when visiting renal departments around Scotland. Working with so many highly professional people in renal dialysis has been without doubt the most rewarding and enjoyable time of my professional life.” Douglas has handed his renal responsibilities at Veolia over to his colleague James Pryce. |
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September 2020
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Given the virtual nature of UK Kidney Week, this is a unique chance for as many people who are interested to register for and participate in the conference. Registering for the conference will allow you to participate in sessions in real time, see recordings of the presentations after the event and access other content on the virtual platform.
This includes:
We do think it is worth highlighting that this year most renal techs should be able to register for free as the registration is only £100 per renal unit for all their staff and we expect most units will sign up. We would also like to signpost ART members to the session on 13th October 16.30 – 18.30 during which there will be two presentations by ART. One will be the ART slide as part of the Workforce Planning Document Launch and the other a ten minute presentation on what ART and it’s members have been doing during the pandemic. Registration details can be found here but remember to enquire if your unit has already registered and then it won't cost you anything! |
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April 2020
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February 2020
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June 2019
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Scottish Renal Association Conference 2019Thursday 24 October – Friday 25 October 2019
Easterbrook Hall, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TL Confirmed speakers, with more to follow, are: Professor Sir Harry Burns, Professor Wim Van Biesen, Professor Angela Webster, Professor Maarten Taal Nursing programme will be themed around mental health, vascular access and clinical improvement. Registration is now open until 11 October 2019 with early bird registration deadline of 20 September 2019 (registration on site is not available) Accommodation at the Holiday Inn is available at a special rate of £85.00 B&B pppn To book a room please call the hotel direct, Monday – Friday 0830 – 1800hrs on T:01387 272 410 – option 2 and quote Ref EASB231019 You must provide a valid credit/debit card to confirm the reservation (please call the number and not central reservations as they do not have access to the Ref or special rate). Special rate is available until 28.09.19 or until no room availability so don’t delay and book asap. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS NOW OPEN! Deadline is 1700hrs Friday 30 August 2019 – no late applications will be permitted. The SRA continues to have £100 prizes for the best abstract submitted by a Nurse/AHP, Medical Student and for the best science abstract. We now have three prizes (£100, £75, £50) for the best presentations by a non-consultant, awarded in the Prize Abstract Session. All those awarded best abstract are eligible (if you are a SRA member) to apply for a £500 SRA Bursary with those awarded 2nd and 3rd in the medical presentations eligible to apply for £250 SRA Bursary to assist with presenting work at other national and/or international meetings Conference Dinner & Ceilidh on Thursday 24th October with The Roving Pedlars Ceilidh Band £35 for consultants / £25 for other staff Donna Wright Scottish Renal Association Administrator T: 0131 242 1715 F: 0131 241 1739 http://www.srr.scot.nhs.uk/SRA/Main.htm |
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December 2018
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Ingenious upcycling turns discarded medical device into water filter
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October 2018
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August 2018
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In memory of Raymond ‘Ray’ Colin James
23rd July 1954 – 23rd July 2018 It is with much sadness that we heard the news that Ray passed away on 23rd July 2018. Whilst it is with heavy heart that I write these words I feel it is important to focus on this as a celebration of a wonderful career and the many contributions made by Ray in the field of renal technology and beyond. I sincerely hope that these words do justice to a wonderful gentleman and acknowledge his many fine achievements. Ray worked for Gambro and it was in the early 1980’s that David Gandy had fond memories of Ray visiting David’s unit to install, service and repair the growing number of AK10 machines. Ray was the technical driving force behind Gambro’s introduction of central water plant into the UK. He was also involved in the design and build of the first central delivery pipework heat disinfection system to be installed in the UK at Ninewells Hospital Dundee and then at St. Luke’s Hospital Bradford. ART have fond memories of Ray and he was a valued and extremely highly respected member of the Association. During Ray’s time as an ART executive committee member, 1998 to 2003, he was actively involved in all aspects of the meetings and was passionate that the Association should drive forward the representation of renal technologists at the highest levels. So much so that he attended a reception to recognise the work and contribution of Healthcare Scientists at 10 Downing Street in 2003. Ray was also instrumental in pushing ART to reinvigorate itself in the early 1990’s. Ray was instrumental in organising a local ART meeting in London in the early 1990’s and the success was clear to see with over 25 technicians attending from numerous London hospitals. He could see that the Department of Health was taking an interest in all aspects of clinical engineering and with how the world was changing pointed out that ART could be actively involved in these changes or take a backseat. ART took Ray’s advice and since then I can say with confidence that as a professional association ART does indeed punch above its weight not only for the good of its membership but also for our renal patients. Ray also represented ART at British Renal Society meetings. In the late 1990’s both David Gandy and Ray began work on developing a syllabus for training renal technicians. Ray forged ahead and within a relatively short time had developed his ‘Core Curriculum for Renal Technologists’ which was subsequently published through the EDTNA/ERCA. Ray also worked with David to put together and develop the ART Education Group. This resulted in the syllabus for the ART Training Scheme and which after discussions with the University of Bradford was incorporated into their Clinical Technology Degree. Ray felt that this would appeal to renal unit technical staff more so than the distance learning format of the course offered by the City University in London. Ray along with Maurice Harrington and Elizabeth Lindley were instrumental in delivering the ART modules at Bradford and Ray lectured on this course until he stepped down in 2014. Over the years many renal technologists have benefited from attending these modules, a fine tribute to Ray. The training manual Renal Replacement Therapy for Renal Technicians was produced by Ray in conjunction with ART in 1999 and was later turned into a handbook which was quite unique at the time. Ray was a very active member of the EDTNA/ERCA Journal Advisory Board, contributing to editing and peer reviewing of papers and would have assisted many authors in translating papers so that they read well and gave clear messages. This give Ray a great insight into the roles of the other members of the renal multidisciplinary team which no doubt he used to develop the original UK Renal Technology course run by the City University in London. André Stragier quoted “Ray was a highly qualified dialysis technologist, well known in Europe, always clear and simple, straight to the point. He was very active in many EDTNA/ERCA Conferences and Journal Clubs. He illustrated his broad knowledge in his book Foundations in Renal Technology”. Ray was a real renal character and was always very keen to share his knowledge, helping to educate and inform others. He was very passionate about the education of renal technologists and his fine and many contributions to education in the renal field are a wonderful legacy for which he will always be remembered. It is no exaggeration to say that Ray was a true gentleman, a thoughtful, reliable and generous colleague and friend. Ray will be much missed and leaves us with many fine memories. The words written here would not have been possible without the wonderful contributions from Ray’s friends and former colleagues. I would therefore like to thank and acknowledge; Gerry Boyle, David Gandy, Maurice Harrington, Elizabeth Lindley and Andy Mosson. Roger Moore – ART Chairman 
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August 2018
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Mark Zillessen - Funeral will be at Scarborough Crematorium this coming Friday at 12.45 |
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July 2018
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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mark Zillessen.
Mark had been battling with Mesothelioma for some time. Mark was well known and respected within renal circles over a period of 23+ years, initially working for Paddy Hartley and then Hospal, Gambro, Baxter and more recently Physidia. Mark was key to the implementation of CRRT by Hospal in the UK and many people unbeknownst to them owe him their lives. He moved on to manage the Chronic Dialysis business in Gambro where again he excelled with his knowledge and personality. I am sure that many of us have some notable and hilarious memories of this amazing man and he will be a tremendous loss to our renal community. I will inform you about funeral arrangements as they become available. I am sure all of us would like to convey our thoughts to his wife and children, Claire, Martin and Phoebe. |
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July 2018
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Course dates: 8-10 October 2018 / 11-13 February 2019
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May 2018
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October 2017
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August 2017
The booking form for the 2017 Annual Conference is now available HERE.
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July 2017
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July 2017
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February 2017
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August 2016
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2016 DETAILS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED INCLUDING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BOOKING FORM. For further info see the National Conference page.
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June 2016
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A Sad Loss To The Renal Community
It was with deep sadness that ART heard of the passing of Paul Roome. Paul was a valued and well respected member of ART. It was following the AGM in 2010 that Paul became an ART Executive Committee member and continued until April 2015. During Paul’s time as a committee member he was actively involved in and had a passion for regional meetings. Paul was very proud of the unit he worked in and was more than happy to host visits by his fellow renal technologist colleagues from across the region. Paul also took on the management of the ART museum and those who attended the annual national conference will have seen how proud Paul was of this and his enthusiasm for displaying the museum pieces at conference. After Paul stood down from the committee he continued to manage the museum, an illustration of his commitment and passion for all things ART. The museum will be at conference but I feel will not be quite the same without Paul in attendance. It is no exaggeration to say that the renal community has lost a true gentleman, an affable and fun loving character and someone who was passionate about all things renal. I’m sure that we all have our own particular memories of Paul and many of these will be shared at conference. I for one will be raising a glass in Paul’s memory and thoughts will be with Paul’s surviving wife and two daughters. I would also like to take this opportunity to place before you the following words from Paul’s friends and colleagues at Derby, a very fitting tribute to Paul who will sadly be missed by all. Roger Moore – ART Chairman Paul Roome 1959 - 2016
A eulogy from his friends and colleagues at Derby Hospital...
It is with great sadness that the Department of Renal Medicine announce the death of Paul Roome, Chief Technician, Royal Derby Hospital. It is a measure of the esteem in which he was held that the impact of his premature passing has been felt so keenly by his friends and colleagues in Derby as well as across the renal community in the UK. He joined Derby City Hospital in 1988 becoming Renal Unit Chief Technician in 2000. With that role and as part of that department, he found his calling. The delivery of dialysis requires skilled and dedicated technical support and Paul rapidly acquired the skills and enthusiasm for the role. He was a larger than life character at ease with all, beloved of the staff and patients as every day he set about ensuring the unit ran smoothly, fixing the day to day problems that modern dialysis throws up. He was immensely proud of his small team that he built and mentored and his reputation for being the go to person to solve difficult issues extended to the companies that supplied the equipment. Beyond the day job he always sought to improve and was very much part of a leadership team that from 1996 onwards drove Derby to be one of the most respected services in the UK and across the globe. He was part of the design team in the days of the PFI project to build a new “superhospital” in Derby, delivering a renal unit that is admired by many. He was instrumental in the design and launch of a holiday caravan for haemodialysis patients, proudly delivering it to its site in North Wales. A second in Devon was added to the service and patients make extensive use of it to take a break from home. He supported the case to reinvigorate home haemodialysis, constantly solving the technical challenges so that more people could dialyse at home. Derby now has one of the largest home dialysis programmes in the country. But Paul loved a challenge and if we think research is all about the ‘boffins’ it is worth remembering that without Paul and his team, much of the ground breaking research this department is known for would not have happened. The demonstration that cardiac stunning was such an important cause of harm to patients on dialysis came about because Paul sorted out how to get patients onto dialysis in a PET scanner, in a department that didn’t have a water purification unit and all taking place nearly 200 miles away in West London. Mostly though he will be remembered as a friend, a friend who could be counted upon when things were tricky, who looked after his mates and just enjoyed life. He leaves a massive hole in his workshop, on the dialysis unit, in the hospital and across the wider renal community. He was active in the Association of Renal Technologists and an enthusiastic supporter of the British Renal Society at conference, be it at the meeting or in the bar. He was ‘renal’ to his very core and lived to make things better for people with kidney failure so it is absolutely fitting that after death he donated his kidneys. We offer our sincere condolences to his wife Sue and his two daughters, Kim and Beth. He left us far too early but that puts into perspective how large his contribution and legacy are. |
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May 2016
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May 2016
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Students taking the course for NHS registration or to obtain credits towards a degree need to complete an assignment and a 2 hour exam for each module. The exam can now be taken off-site provided the student has an invigilator who agrees to the terms and conditions.
NHS technologists who have applied and failed to get local funding may be able to get ART sponsored registration. If you have any questions about this, or the course, please e-mail me at [email protected] .’ | ||
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April 2016
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Full conference information and online registration is also available on the new UKKW website – www.ukkw.org.uk.
We are pleased to advise that the UKKW 2016 organising committee has agreed to extend the early bird registration for a further week.
The new deadline is now Friday 22nd April UK Kidney Week 2016 (Tuesday 7th June – Friday 10th June) is coming up fast and will bring together members of the multi-professional team at the ICC in Birmingham. We hope you will all join us to contribute to the sharing of wisdom and goodwill. The meeting incorporates research, quality improvement, education and much more, in multiple strands that will appeal across clinical and research teams of every description. There is CPD, there are keynote speakers, there are debates …but having read more than 500 of them, we think that the presentations and posters will be highlights. There is so much great work being done and now shared. The sharing of best practice is now being evolved and formalised in the shape of the Kidney Quality Improvement Partnership (K-QUIP) which will debut at UK Kidney Week 2016. There are many other highlights based on the theme "Innovation for better care - improving kidney care through quality research and team working". Here are just a few topics from the programme: · Launch of K-QUIP · UK Renal Research Strategy Implementation · We know there’s variation, what is UKRR doing to reduce it? · Improving care as part of the day job · Regenerating the human kidney based upon an understanding of development · Care for the Young Kidney Patient · Pregnancy and Kidney Disease · Health Literacy: Connecting Policy and Practice · T cell exhaustion and outcome in autoimmune disease · Strategies to improve the provision of haemodialysis access · Prevention of dialysis-related infection: lessons from peritoneal dialysis | ||||||
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April 2016
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Real-life story proforma
Health Careers is looking for inspiring real-life stories to help others to make informed career choices, whether they are a school student taking their first steps or a current professional considering their next career move.
After completing and returning the proforma, we will be in touch about how we would like to use your story e.g. as a case study on our website or literature. We may also ask if you would be interested in appearing in a careers film for our website. If you have a suitable high-resolution photo (ideally a head and shoulders shot), please send it back with the proforma to [email protected].
Your details will only be used by Health Education England (who manage the Health Careers service). No details will be released to anyone without your express permission.
If you have any questions, please email us on [email protected].
Health Careers is looking for inspiring real-life stories to help others to make informed career choices, whether they are a school student taking their first steps or a current professional considering their next career move.
After completing and returning the proforma, we will be in touch about how we would like to use your story e.g. as a case study on our website or literature. We may also ask if you would be interested in appearing in a careers film for our website. If you have a suitable high-resolution photo (ideally a head and shoulders shot), please send it back with the proforma to [email protected].
Your details will only be used by Health Education England (who manage the Health Careers service). No details will be released to anyone without your express permission.
If you have any questions, please email us on [email protected].
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To view/complete the proforma then please click the icon.
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April 2016
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IPEM and ART sign Memorandum of Understanding The Association of Renal Technology and IPEM have signed an MOU on the 12 February 2016 acknowledging that they share values and interests which form the basis for their organisational partnership. ART is also a valued partner of IPEM's in the management of the Register of Clinical Technologists (RCT) which recently received Accredited Register Recognition from the Professional Standards Authority. The partnership will provide mutual support for aims shared by IPEM and ART and both organisations intend to work together actively to achieve these shared aims by: Exchanging news items for publication in electronic, web and hard copy newsletters on an ad hoc basis. Supporting each other’s social media presence Offering opportunities to contribute to each other’s annual conferences in order to support mutual aims and offering their own member rates for conference fees to members of the partner organisation. In addition, ART will offer free access to ART study days for IPEM members; and IPEM will offer member rates to its one day conferences for ART members. Official link to IPEM website here. |
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March 2016
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November 2015
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Veolia’s RecoBLUE Water Recovery Shortlisted for Award
Wednesday 4th November, London
Veolia Water Technologies has been shortlisted for a prestigious Building Better Healthcare Award. Our award in the Utilities and Services category recognises a project that has reduced water consumption at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital Renal Unit using a RecoBLUE Recovery RO. The plant, which will give annual predicted savings of mains water of more than 3,200m3, equivalent to 1.5 tonnes CO2 per year, was commissioned in April 2014. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 4th November, at the 17th annual BBH awards ceremony held at the Brewery, Moorgate, London. For further information about Kent & Canterbury visit www.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/processwater/medias/cases/39241.htm Veolia Water Technologies is a specialist in pure water systems and process water solutions in the UK, with over 75 years of experience in helping businesses of all sizes. Veolia offers a full range of solutions for water purification and sustainable water recovery for industry, science and research. With a wide range of process water treatment systems that range from bench-top water purifiers to centralised pure water delivery systems. The full range of services also includes; mobile water treatment, water treatment chemicals, and water recovery systems serving markets such as; Scientific, Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Power, Automotive and other General Industries, as well as municipal clients. Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 179,000 employees* worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them. In 2014, the Veolia group supplied 96 million people with drinking water and 60 million people with wastewater service, produced 52 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 31 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €24.4 billion* in 2014. www.veolia.com (*) 2014 pro-forma figures, including Dalkia International (100%) and excluding Dalkia France. Contacts: Veolia Water Technologies Windsor Court, Kingsmead Business Park, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP11 1JU Tel: + 44 (0) 1628 897000 www.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk Jane Wardrop RedLine Public Relations Tel: +44 (0) 1844 273407 Mobile: +44 (0) 7850 568759 [email protected] |
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July 2015
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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Scheme
The documents for the CPD Scheme are now available to download on the Education Page.
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April 2015
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ARTERY Magazine available to download now!
Click the image below to view the first ever digital edition!
British Renal Society Annual Conference - 2015 - University of Leeds
Tuesday 30th June – Thursday 2nd July 2015 Second Announcement & Scientific Programme Click the image below to view the digital brochure
NIKKISO Haemodialysis Machines and Consumables.
LINC Medical is proud to announce that they have been appointed the distributor for the UK and Ireland for NIKKISO haemodialysis machines and associated consumables. Technical service will continue to be provided by NIKKISO staff and the NIKKISO application specialist – Mr Frank-Peter Heinrich – will continue to provide nurse training and support. It is anticipated that LINC Medical will very quickly appoint an application specialist to assist Frank-Peter. Please contact LINC Medical for any supplies of machines or consumables – contact details are: Telephone: 01572 717515 Fax: 01572 717516 E: [email protected] Website: www.linc-medical.co.uk For technical support: Nikkiso Hotline: 07557 581064 | ||||||||||
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March 2015
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Chlorine and water filter con as featured on Rogue Traders
Minutes of interest: 14:24 - 22:12 32-40 - 39-40 50:00 - 56:00 The company telling lies about tap water in order to sell filters. #Chlorine #Cancer #Diseases #wouldntletmycatdrinkit |
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March 2015
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Purite name change
Purite Ltd and all subsidiaries of the Group become SUEZ environnement SUEZ environnement Unit C, Bandet Way, Thame Oxfordshire, OX9 3SJ, United Kingdom Tel : +44 (0)1297 444253 |
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January 2015
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Quanta SC+ receives CE mark.
QuantaFluid Solutions Ltd announces it has received CE mark for SC+, its portable,cartridge-based haemodialysis system. Read the full press release here: http://www.quantafs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Quanta-CE-Mark.pdf 
Submit an abstract for the BRS 2015
There are only 11 days left to submit an abstract for the BRS 2015 Conference! Please encourage your colleagues at work and in your associations to submit. You may use this link: http://www.britishrenal.org/SpecialPages/logon.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fAbstracts%2fSubmission-of-Abstracts.aspx 
New software available for the Palintest Sensor platform products.
Upgrade your instrument to the latest software. The new software is available on request and features some important updates to the calibration process and the error message system that will make the product even easier to use. Upgrading to the latest software is easy, just ‘drag and drop’ the new software into your instrument through the USB port and continue testing! To ensure you have the latest software available, simply e-mail us at [email protected] with your instrument type and serial number. You’ll receive an e-mail with the new software and some simple instructions on how to carry out the upgrade process. - See more at: http://www.palintest.com/2013/10/new-software-available-for-the-palintest-sensor-platform-products/#sthash.zBeECnKI.dpuf |
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November 2014
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Hello from the new ART Chairman - Roger Moore!
Read it HERE |
