The renal service is based at The James Cook University Hospital where we have inpatient and outpatient facilities for investigating, diagnosing and managing patients with renal disease, immunological disease and poisoning.
The department at James Cook includes a 24-bed ward (Ward 4) and a 20-stationed chronic haemodialysis unit.
The peritoneal dialysis service is based at James Cook and we also have facilities to see patients in an ambulatory setting in our renal day unit for consultations and treatment.
We also have a dialysis unit at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.
Satellite dialysis units
There are three satellite dialysis units in the area which are overseen by the James Cook renal services team, in Darlington, Stockton and North Ormesby.
Outpatient clinics are held in the main outpatient department at James Cook. There are also weekly renal clinics in surrounding district general hospitals – Stockton (University Hospital of North Tees), Hartlepool (University Hospital Hartlepool), Darlington (Darlington Memorial Hospital), Bishop Auckland General Hospital and the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.
None of these hospitals have consultant nephrologists so the James Cook team also provides advice and support for kidney patients there, and arranges transfer to James Cook for inpatient care when necessary.
Home treatment
Our team promotes home treatments where possible and we have patients on home dialysis and patients as well as peritoneal dialysis. These services are managed with the help of a home therapies team.
Kidney transplants
The unit has very close links with the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle where kidney transplants are performed and early discharge of transplant recipients back into our care is normal practice, usually as soon as the patients have been discharged from Newcastle after their transplant.
We enthusiastically promote live kidney donor transplantation and have had a significant number of live donor transplants over the last five years.
Renal unit revamped
Our renal day unit at James Cook has been transformed into a modern, purpose-built centre thank to your generous donations.
Staff and patients raised £500,000 with the support of Our Hospitals Charity to revamp the unit to create a more welcoming environment for patients and make better use of the space available.
