Renal

The Queensland Renal Clinical Network focuses on clinical practice improvement and quality and safety enhancements, and provides expertise, direction, and advice on evidence based best practice to Queensland Health clinicians caring for renal patients.

The steering committee membership is multidisciplinary and includes Queensland clinicians with an interest in renal health. It provides expertise, direction and advice to healthcare administrators and planners, the Department of Health and government, as well as leadership and guidance to key clinical streams and their advisory groups.

The steering committee is co-chaired by:

  • Dr Carolyn van Eps, Consultant Nephrologist, Department of Nephrology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Metro South Hospital and Health Service.
  • Associate Professor Sree Krishna Venuthurupalli, Consultant Nephrologist, Medicine, West Moreton Kidney Health Service, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service.

The role of the network

  • improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of renal care in Queensland
  • provide expertise, direction and advice to the Queensland Health Executive and Hospital and Health Services and Boards in relation to renal service planning; and emerging issues locally, statewide and nationally
  • provide expertise, direction and advice and develop an open and supportive environment for clinicians who are involved in caring for patients, and consumers of renal services in Queensland
  • foster education and research in renal best practice.

The Queensland Renal Clinical Network is progressing priorities through working groups, subcommittees and special interest groups.

Renal Pharmacist Special Interest Group

The Renal Pharmacist Special Interest Group was established to engage pharmacist’s working within renal dialysis units, outpatient and in-patient settings within Queensland to allow greater sharing of common interests, problems and protocols.

Kidney Foot Disease Working Group

The Kidney Foot Disease (KFD) Working Group has:

  • developed clinical consensus on best practice foot care for patients with kidney disease
  • developed a statewide foot screening tool for chronic kidney disease/end stage kidney disease
  • implemented strategies to improve awareness of KFD complications and referral services amongst clinicians and patients.

Read about the Chronic Kidney Disease Foot Care Toolkit on the Improvement exchange.

Current priorities

  • Support the development and implementation of the Advancing Kidney Care 2026 Plan.
  • Develop clinical guidelines, pathways and resources to support evidence based practice in renal services.
  • Advance training and education in nephrology and renal transplant throughout Queensland.
  • Support clinical projects and research related to renal patients and service delivery.

Key initiatives

Resources

Managing your care. A guide to help young people transition from Queensland Children’s Hospital to adult kidney care.

The Children’s Health Queensland Adolescent and Young Adult transition guide “Managing your care”, has been published. Developed by the Child and Adolescent Renal Service in partnership with Advancing Care 2026 and the Queensland Renal Clinical Network, this guide is for young persons (aged 12 years and over) and their families who are under the care of the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH) kidney team. It aims to help personal growth towards self-management of health care, alongside the rest of life, whilst preparing for the ‘transition’ from the QCH to adult kidney care services.

Disaster Preparedness Checklist for Dialysis Patients.

The checklist is designed to start conversations between care providers and patients about disaster planning and to be a reference to remind patients of the principles for self-care in an emergency situation. Patients should contact their dialysis unit to discuss obtaining a copy of the Checklist and to raise any other questions.

Please email QldRenalNetwork@health.qld.gov.au with any feedback or questions about these resources.

Disaster Preparedness

Network communique

These communiques provide updates on the work of the network and their recent achievements.

Contact us

Email: QldRenalNetwork@health.qld.gov.au
Phone: +61 7 3328 9175
Postal Address: GPO Box 48, Brisbane 4001

Last updated: 21 July 2022