History of St George’s Kidney Patients Association

St George's Kidney Patients Association was founded to improve the lives and experience of renal patients at St George's Hospital. Founded in 1991 and registered as a charity 2 years later, the charity continues to support projects and buy equipment for the benefit of staff and patients at the renal unit.

The Association today

St George's Kidney Patients Association (sometimes shortened to StGKPA or SGKPA) supports patients come from across South West London, Surrey & Sussex. They come to the hospital for pre-renal failure clinics, for kidney transplantation as well as those living closer to the hospital for dialysis.

It is a charitable organisation run by patients trying to improve the lives and facilities offered to St George's Hospital Trust renal patients.

•  "What we do".  Our fund raising activities.
•  "What we've bought for the hospital". 
• "Get Involved". How you can help us with your time.

Formation of the St George's Kidney Patients Association

The 1^st meeting of the SGKPA was held on June 20^th 1991 at a time when there were 20-30 patients on dialysis.  In March 1992, the Treasurer of St George's Hospital informed the KPA that, if it were to continue to use the name "St George's Kidney Patients Association", Wandsworth Health Authority would want control over the funds, bank account, etc.  In May 1992, the name on the Bank account was changed to the "Tooting Kidney Patients Association".  Once St George's became an NHS Trust the KPA reverted to its former name.

Benefits agreed by St George's Hospital NHS Trust:*

• Permission to hold KPA meetings on Trust property.

• Gift of a filing cabinet that can be kept at St George's.

• Use of hospital postal system for KPA business.

*Letter from Heather Knox [General Manager Medicine] dated January 14^th 1994.

Key Milestones

• The association achieved Charitable status in May 1993; Charity Commission number 1021655.

• The first major fundraising event, a cricket match, raised £100,000 and there suddenly appeared a war chest

• This fundraising has grown over the years to over £1,000,000.

• Over £700,000 has been spent on vital equipment which has saved hundreds of patients and improved their quality of life. These include:

  • Transplant equipment such as 2 laparoscopic stacks for live donor key hole surgery (in 2005 & replaced in 2016), lifeport machines (for storing transplanted kidneys in-between donors) and bladder scanners for the wards.

  • Dialysis and venus access equipment

  • Equipment such as air conditioning for Buckland Ward

  • a free TV service in Champneys Ward for 23 TVs (and previously 30 TVs in Knightsbridge Wing)

• Members of the Committee have influenced the Trust where the Renal Unit have been unable to access the Trust Board and represent patient concerns which would otherwise have stayed at local level.  

• Importantly we have enjoyed free car parking as patients since 2002 which has continued to this day. 

• Over 20 years the KPA Committee have campaigned to improve the buildings and facilities within which renal patients are treated. This included:

  • helping renal staff develop plans for a new unit building

  • improving the facilities in Knightsbridge Wing including paying for the installation of air conditioning on Buckland Ward and furnishing the waiting room.

  • supporting the move to the current Courtyard Clinic

•  It has also worked with the clinicians and helped to represent patient's interests where appropriate.  

• This website was created in 2013 to provide patients and supporters with an important source of news and information.

Still to do

There is still a lot work to do to improve the patient experience at St George's. This includes:

1. Recreating a chronic haemodialysis service on the Tooting site to replace the trucks outside the Courtyard Clinic
2. Providing a connection between the Courtyard Clinic and the main hospital buildings.
3. Fixing the immediate heating issues in the Courtyard Clinic
4. Support funding requests from the renal unit clinical team where the hospital declines funding requests.
5. Continue to promote organ donation, particularly amongst the BAME communities.
6. Investigate the replacement of the TV with other technology solutions on the ward and and any permanent haemodialysis facility.
7. Continue to promote the St George's KPA to help improve patient experience and raise funds for future projects.

Officers of SGKPA [1991-2018]

Charitable Finances

Growth of monetary reserves

Income

Expenditure

To be updated...

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