Capacity, Demand and Acuity for Dialysis

Capacity and delivery for dialysis therapy across the region had been highlighted as an ongoing risk in 2023-24. The network has worked alongside the five provider organisations to gather data on growth and gaining an insight into nursing staffing models across the region.

We have also completed a pilot project in conjunction with the UK Kidney Association and Association of Nephrology Nurses UK to test a newly developed incentre haemodialysis acuity tool. This project has given an insight into the NW incentre haemodialysis acuity levels. The workforce and education workstream with produced a report describing the findings of this pilot in June 2024.

The NWKN, alongside Renal Clinical Directors and Clinical Network Leads, escalated services seeing significant increase in growth to the Internal Medicine Programme of Care (IMPOC) group in the NW in December 2023. Growth across some services has been acknowledged and the region and awaiting the outcomes of further discussions.

  • Create a regional data dashboard demonstrating public health, kidney services and outcomes data
  • Scope the current NW workforce.
  • Gain data on:
    • Dialysis Capacity – actual and potential
    • ICHD nursing service provision 
    • Staffing levels
    • Acuity of the ICHD population.

  • To establish NW data for workforce, capacity and demand dashboard 

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The workforce and education workstream began in June 2023. This workstream to date has:

  • Hosted a NW renal workforce and education day targeted to all levels of renal nurse across the NW.
  • Completed a weekly data collection from all incentre haemodialysis unit to gather data on capacity and workforce. 
  • Completed face to face workforce and education incentre reviews with management teams from nine units across the three ICB areas.
  • Piloted an acuity tool within all NW incentre units, reviewed the tool and made recommendations for the future use of the tool.  
  • Assessed the need for data sharing and created a NW data dashboard to ensure sharing of finding.  This data dashboard will be the first of its kind nationally.
  • Shared local workforce and capacity data with local teams

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The North West Collaborative Input of Renal Clinical data & Analysis (NW CIRCA) commenced creation in November 2023 and launched in November 2024. Many quality improvement cycles have been completed to gain a clear view and understanding of incentre haemodialysis services.

This dashboard has been designed to give greater insight into kidney service within the Northwest. It has been custom built based upon monthly submitted and one-off submission data from all haemodialysis centres within the region. Data is also gained from a number of sources and aims to build a patient pathway for the future using data, forecasting and population modelling.

The NW CIRCA is the result of effective and efficient collaboration of the business intelligence team, network team, dialysis unit teams, clinical leads, public health team and regional commissioning team. 

Introduction of additional kidney services and data sources outlining renal services within the northwest. Continue to development the forecasting model with a goal to ensure for smarter forecasted projections. Collaborate and work with National kidney teams and other Kidney Networks to broaden the use of CIRCA demonstrating a national picture of kidney services. 

Evolve the NW CIRCA with a focus on outcomes measure for services, patients and workforce. Using the NW CIRCA and data agree as a network recommendation for workforce structures and care deliver models used across the region. Aid commissioning design and structure through data analysis.

Disseminate NW CIRCA across all units in the northwest, promote the use of the dashboard within local Trust discussions and decision making. Use the NW CIRCA within network discussions with local trusts to drive standardised practise and optimise outcomes. 

If you work within renal North West kidney services and wish to gain access to the North West CIRCA please click here to contact us.

Please note that access to the NW CIRCA is restricted and granted by the NWKN team, you must have an NHS Futures and NHS England Application (OKTA) account to gain access to this platform.