Many patients with kidney dysfunction also have diabetes. Diabetes is now the leading cause of renal failure in the UK.
We aim to offer a local service for assessing and treating chronic kidney disease and to help guide your GP. Due to the overlap between the needs of managing chronic kidney disease and diabetes, we have developed close links with the consultant diabetologists at each of the hospitals that we serve.
Some patients with diabetes and renal disease have special needs, and a combined clinic has been developed, staffed by consultant renal physicians, consultant diabetologists and specialist nurses in diabetes care.
The aim of these clinics are firstly to ensure that patients with diabetes and renal disease have the correct diagnosis for their renal problem, and then to establish a plan for ongoing management and surveillance.
It may be that after the initial assessment, a decision is made to continue surveillance in a specialist diabetes clinic, a specialist renal clinic, or if the needs of both diabetes and renal care are complex to continue to attend the combined clinic so that you can receive consultant-led specialist care at a single visit.
As the renal unit serves such a large population, individual combined renal and diabetes clinics have been developed on three sites across south west London and Surrey.
Referrals
GPs can refer patients directly to this clinic, but usually the consultant renal physician or consultant diabetologist refers the patient if they identify that a more co-ordinated care plan is required.
