The National Kidney Federation (NKF) is excited to announce its partnership with the DAYLife programme. This national improvement initiative is a collaborative effort along with the UK Kidney Association, Fresenius Medical Care, and Kidney Care UK to enhance access to home dialysis therapies across the United Kingdom.

The DAYLife programme is designed to support renal centres in meeting the 20% target set by the "Getting It Right First Time" (GIRFT) initiative. Written by Dr Graham Lipkin and Dr William McKane, the GIRFT national report recommends expanding home dialysis to ensure that all suitable patients have access and choice, aiming for a minimum of 20% of dialysis patients to be on home therapies in every renal centre across the country.

People on home haemodialysis have been shown to have a better quality of life compared to those dialysing in the hospital, possibly due to the more comfortable and flexible treatment schedule that home therapies can offer. Home dialysis also allows for longer and more frequent sessions that can lead to better outcomes, including survival, and quicker recovery.

Despite the proven benefits, NKF's recent report, ‘Increasing Home Dialysis in the UK Three Years On’, highlights systemic challenges in expanding home dialysis options. To address these barriers, the NKF has engaged with clinical directors across the UK for the past three years to share their future plans and best practices for home dialysis. The feedback received indicates significant enthusiasm and commitment from hospitals to advance home therapies nationwide however more improvements need to be put in place. The work done in this campaign over the next year will be closely aligned and in collaboration with the DAYLife programme for the final NKF campaign report in 2025.

The DAYLife programme aims to foster a national movement, identifying key areas for improvement and to address challenges that impact multiple patient pathways.

The aims of the DAYLife programme are to encourage:

·         All kidney centres in the UK to engage and actively participate in quality improvement work around home dialysis therapy by December 2025.

·         All centres to achieve a minimum of 20-25% of their prevalent dialysis patients to be on a home therapy by December 2027.

·         Centres that are currently achieving the target of 20% to continue to demonstrate incremental improvement in the proportion of patients on home dialysis year on year.

Andrea Brown, NKF Chief Executive, commented: "We are pleased to join the DAYLife programme. For the past three years, the NKF has been campaigning to increase home therapies, backed by annual report findings from the UK Renal Registry. Our Home Dialysis Peer Support Service, launched in 2021, is thriving and will continue to be an essential part of our efforts to support patients in choosing home therapies."

NKF's Home Dialysis Peer Support Service provides a nationwide platform for individuals to discuss home dialysis options, share experiences, and seek additional support. This free service is tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient or carer, offering one-on-one conversations with peers who have first-hand experience with home dialysis. 

Learn more about the NKF’s Home Dialysis Peer Support Service by visiting: www.kidney.org.uk/peer-support. You can also reach out to the service via the NKF Freephone Helpline at 0800 169 09 36, or email [email protected].

For details on the DAYLife programme, please visit: https://ukkidney.org/kquip/projects/day-life

To sign up to the DAYLife mailing list, and receive updates on the DAYLife programme visit: https://forms.office.com/r/iKrpTUCZpg 

To get involved with the programme please contact [email protected]