Kidney care fellows and scholars

Read the full report on the UKKA/CSH 2023 Kidney scholars here

SPOTLIGHTED SCHOLARS AND FELLOWS

Dr Rosa Montero

CSH/UKKA SUSTAINABLE KIDNEY CARE GROUP SCHOLAR 2022-3

Employed by St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Projects:

• In the acute dialysis unit at St George's University Hospital and satellite units Rosa's project adopted online priming of haemodialysis lines, offered dialysis nearer to Patient's homes, addressed waste disposal procedures, moved to paperless systems and reduced items in fistula on/off packs.
• Consultation and co-authoring advice for the Trust's new low carbon renal building
• As T year academic lead Rosa reviewed the curriculum to incorporate Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI) throughout the course and helped organise Green Week at the Trust
• Sitting on the working group to develop sustainability within the UK Kidney Assocation and NHS blood and Transplant

Summary:

Dr. Rosa Montero is a Kidney Consultant at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her scholarship focused on driving sustainable changes in dialysis and kidney transplantation locally and nationally. Her strong leadership influenced a wide range of practitioners to adopt greener kidney care across different settings. You can connect with Rosa through our CSH networks

Gareth Murcutt

CSH/UKKA SUSTAINABLE KIDNEY CARE GROUP SCHOLAR 2022-3

Employed by Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Projects:

• Switching dialysis units to central acid concentrate delivery systems: Conducting a cost-benefit analysis and evaluating the carbon footprint of dialysis acid concentrate. Demonstrating the Triple Bottom Line benefits of delivery via central acid concentrate versus the traditional 5-litre can
• A sustainability calculator was developed by Gareth and is freely available to use

Articles/blogs/podcasts:

1. Murcott, G., Hillson, R., Goodlad, C. & Daenport, A. have a paper currently in peer review with a nephrology journal
2. Gareth's project featured in a BMJ article: How to save £20,000 and 780 staff hours a year on a single ward- by making one climate friendly change

Summary:

Gareth is an experienced Renal Technical Manager at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. During his scholarship, his work highlighting the triple wins associated with transferring to central acid concentrate delivery is helping other dialysis services develop business cases for similar projects and supporting the phased removal of 1:34 acid concentrate in the UK. You can connect with Gareth through the CSH networks

Dr. Andy Connor

GREEN NEPHROLOGY FELLOW 2009-10

Funded by NHS Kidney Care. Partnership organisations included the British Renal Society, the Renal Association, the Association of Renal Industries and the National Kidney Federation.

Projects

• Calculating the carbon footprint of a renal service in the UK.
• Calculating the carbon footprints of home and in-center maintenance hemodialysis in the UK.
• Developing the Green Nephrology Network (now called the Kidney Care Sustainability Network) and recruiting staff representatives in 80% of UK kidney units. 
• Examining the use of telephone consultation clinics to provide follow-up to renal transplant recipients.
• Conducting a national survey of environmental practices and attitudes in renal units in the UK
• Publishing four detailed case studies and how-to guides of sustainable renal practice

Peer-reviewed articles

• Connor A, Mortimer F, Higgins R. (2011) The Follow Up of Renal Transplant Recipients by Telephone Consultation: Three Years Experience from a Single UK Renal Unit. Clinical Medicine, 11(3): 242-246.
• Connor A, Lillywhite R, Cooke MW. (2011) The Carbon Footprints of Home and In-centre Maintenance Hemodialysis in the UK. Hemodialysis International, 15: 39-51.
• Connor A (2011) Green Nephrology: reducing kidney care’s carbon footprint. British Journal of Renal Medicine, 16(1): S13.
• Connor A, Lillywhite R, Cooke MW. (2010) The Carbon Footprint of a Renal Service in the United Kingdom. QJM, 103: 965-975.  
• Connor A, Mortimer F. (2010) The Green Nephrology Survey of Sustainability in Renal Units in England, Scotland and Wales. Journal of Renal Care, 36(3): 153-161.
• Connor A, Mortimer F, Tomson C. (2010) Clinical Transformation: The Key to Green Nephrology. Nephron Clinical Practice, 16(3): c200-c206.
• Connor A, Milne S, Owen A, Boyle G, Mortimer F & Stevens PE. (2010). Toward Green Dialysis: A Case Study to Illustrate and Encourage the Salvage of Reject Water. Journal of Renal Care, 36(2): 68-72.
• Connor A. (2010) The Climate or Kidney Care – Which One Should We Change? Journal of Renal Nursing, 2(6): 266-269.
• Connor A, Thomson M, Mortimer F. (2010) Green Waste Management for Renal Medicine Units. British Journal of Renal Medicine 15(2): 7-11. (register to access)
• Somner J, Connor A & Benjamin L. (2010) Eyes, economics and the environment: should green issues drive changes in ophthalmic care? –Yes. Eye 24, 1309–1311 (2010).
• Connor A, Tomson C, Mortimer F. (2009) Renal medicine can take the lead in greener healthcare. British Journal of Renal Medicine, 14(4):19-22. (register to access article)

Articles/blogs/podcasts

• Projects featured in BMJ news article: “NHS could save £1bn by adopting green strategies used in kidney units” (2013)
• Contributed to Green Nephrology Summit 2010
• Presented at the Renal Association Annual Conference May 2010: Campbell F, Milne S, Connor A, Stevens P. (2010) Heat exchangers in HD machines achieve significant environmental and cost savings.
• Two BMJ Learning Modules published online in November 2010: 1) Climate change and health: the role of the healthcare professional; 2) Climate change and health: the basics of climate science and the impacts of climate change.

Summary

In 2009, Andy became the first ever Sustainable Specialties Fellow. He founded the Green Nephrology network (now called the Kidney Care Sustainability Network) to facilitate sustainable practice within renal services and undertook pioneering research into the carbon footprint of haemodialysis as part of his MD at Warwick University.  Andy received the Green Nephrology Award 2010 on behalf of the Green Nephrology Project Board in recognition of his contribution during the year. View full 2009-10 Green Nephrology summary report. Connect with Andy via the CSH Networks

OTHER FELLOWS AND SCHOLARS

Dr Luis de Mello

CSH/UKKA SUSTAINABLE KIDNEY CARE GROUP SCHOLAR 2022-3

Luis is a doctor based at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in the North East of England, who has been selected as a Scholar in Sustainable Kidney Care as part of CSH's and UKKA's group scholarship programme. He has a background in Diagnostic Radiography and studied medicine at Newcastle University.

Joanne Martin

CSH/UKKA SUSTAINABLE KIDNEY CARE GROUP SCHOLAR 2022-3

Joanne is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner who works in Renal Services at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in the North West of England. Her background is in dialysis and most recently in peritoneal dialysis. Joanne has been selected as a Scholar in Sustainable Kidney Care as part of CSH's and UKKA's group scholar programme to look at the patient pathway in peritoneal dialysis, identifying hotspots and looking at ways of improving the carbon footprint.

Dr Sharan Chugani

CSH/UKKA SUSTAINABLE KIDNEY CARE GROUP SCHOLAR 2022-3

Dr Sharan Chugani is a renal specialist registrar at Swansea Bay University Health Board with experience working across a variety of hospitals across Wales. He has been appointed as a Scholar in Sustainable Kidney Care as part of CSH's and UKKA's group scholar programme, and is an active member of the green community in his health board.

Dr. Tara Collidge

GREEN NEPHROLOGY FELLOW 2010-11

Tara continued the work in kidney care through a six-month Fellowship in 2010. She supported ongoing work by Green Nephrology local representatives, documented additional case studies, organised a joint meeting on telemedicine with the RSM Nephrology Section.