Patients and/ carers often have various questions relating to kidney care following routine clinical outpatient appointments. Owing to lack of opportunities to share real-life experiences with fellow peers via face-to-face communication, the intention of the RPSG founders was to provide an online support group as part of kidney care received at the North Bristol NHS Trust in South-West England UK. The RPSG is NOT a Kidney Patient Association (KPA).

The RPSG was formally founded in (2009) by two renal patients and one carer to help raise Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) awareness on a wider scale. The RPSG has an international membership. The RPSG has been a support group for ALL who live with this long-term condition.

Patients and carers are using the RPSG all around the world because involvement and engagement activities through the social media platform provide a wider opportunity for discussions about how patients, professionals and researchers could be working in partnership to find answers and improve disease and lives of patients with this long-term condition. Being involved also provides potential to become an innovative model for shared decision-making. The RPSG membership has proved that those using the group now have an increasing understanding of CKD, care plans and related disease-processes. The RPSG is highly research active, building on evidence-base to better the care and lives of patients.

Whilst the RPSG does not provide formal medical advice; it is a support group for patients, siblings, carers, guardians and families to share real-life experiences and everyday challenges. The RPSG teams welcomes everyone to join.

Joining the RPSG is FREE

Future…