Since 1975, Kidney Care UK has been a lifeline for kidney patients, their families, and communities. What began as Elizabeth Ward’s pledge to improve the lives of kidney patients has grown into a movement that champions better care, stronger support, and life-changing advocacy.
We provide practical, emotional, and financial support to people affected by kidney disease. From counselling to financial assistance, we help patients navigate the many challenges they face. We work with health professionals to improve services, campaign for change, and fight tirelessly for the rights of kidney patients.
We have always been here for kidney patients and their families, championing their right to live well at every stage of life. Throughout our history, we’ve focused on key areas of support: empowering young people, advancing transplantation, enabling access to travel with dialysis, promoting emotional well-being, and providing vital financial and welfare assistance to those in need.
Together, we’ve achieved many milestones that have transformed kidney care and improved countless lives. Our mission remains as vital today as it was 50 years ago: to ensure no one faces kidney disease alone.
Over 50 years of changing lives
1970s: Laying the groundwork for change
- 1971 17-year-old Timbo Ward began dialysis and his mother, Elizabeth Ward, makes a life-changing pledge to improve the quality of life for kidney patients.
- 1971 Elizabeth Ward campaigns for the introduction of the Kidney Donor Card, a pivotal moment in raising awareness and driving change in organ donation.
- 1975 The British Kidney Patient Association (BKPA) is founded, marking the beginning of a charity dedicated to supporting the needs of people living with kidney disease.
- 1978 The Granada TV Appeal raises £500,000 in just two days, with overwhelming public support that earns a place in the Guinness Book of Records. This early success showcased the power of collective action.
1980s: Pioneering patient support
- 1982 The UK’s first holiday dialysis centre opens in Sussex, giving greater freedom to travel in the UK without compromising essential care.
- 1983 HRH Diana, Princess of Wales, opens a British Kidney Patient Association-funded Paediatric Renal Unit in Glasgow, providing specialised care for young patients.
- 1983-1985 The BKPA helps to extend holiday dialysis services to France and Mallorca, supporting greater access to travel and respite breaks for kidney patients.
1990s: Empowering education and awareness
- 1990 Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra opens the BKPA-supported Timbo Ward Paediatric Renal Unit at Guy’s Hospital in London to improve care for young people.
- 1993 The British Kidney Patient Association introduces the first School Education Pack on kidney disease, with the support of the Secretary of State for Education, reaching students and educators nationwide.
- 1995 The BKPA funds the first national TV commercial for organ donation, seen by over eight million viewers.
- 1997 The BKPA provides £750,000 to fund the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Renal Unit, ensuring young patients have access to specialised care closer to home.
2000s: Expanding vital services
- 2002 The British Kidney Patient Association provides over £5 million to establish the Crawley Dialysis Unit, a significant investment in patient care.
- 2008 The BKPA raises £2 million to fund teenage facilities, ensuring young people living with kidney disease have the resources and spaces they need.
- 2011 The first BKPA telephone counselling service is established to offer emotional support to kidney patients and families.
2010s: A new era for patient support and advocacy
- 2013 The British Kidney Patient Association funds the infoKID website for parents of young children with kidney disease, now an established place for trusted advice and information.
- 2017 The BKPA is rebranded as Kidney Care UK, reaffirming our commitment to be there for everyone affected by kidney disease and providing practical, emotional and financial support services.
- 2018 The Kidney Kitchen, an innovative programme offering delicious kidney-friendly recipes to support better nutrition, is launched in partnership with the British Dietetic Association Kidney Dietitian Specialist Group (KDSG).
- 2016 The first Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) survey is supported by Kidney Care UK. PREM gives patients a powerful voice in shaping kidney care services and continuous improvement projects.
2020s: Strengthening support in challenging times
- 2020 Kidney Care UK launches a Covid-19 support hub, which becomes the go-to resource for thousands of kidney patients to access trusted advice through webinars and online resources during the pandemic.
- 2020 The Policy team at Kidney Care UK secure dialysis access in the EU post-Brexit, ensuring kidney patients could continue to travel for treatment – a campaign recognised with a national award.
- 2020–2021 Kidney Care UK advocates successfully for the opt-out organ donation law in England (2020) and Northern Ireland (2021), transforming lives through increased transplantation.
- 2021 Kidney Care UK achieve free NHS transport for dialysis patients in England, following a three-year campaign to reduce barriers to essential care.
- 2023 Over 1.2 million unique visitors access the Kidney Care UK website, with access to a free Benefits Calculator, and the charity is awarded PIF TICK accreditation for high-quality health information resources.
- 2024 Kidney Care UK secures home dialysis energy reimbursements in Scotland and Northern Ireland, tackling a critical financial burden for patients.
- 2024 National in-unit support is expanded with an increased number of Kidney Care UK Patient Support & Advocacy Officers and a freephone Support Line is launched to provide even greater help to patients and families remotely.
