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Foreword

When Part One of the National Service Framework for Renal Services(the Renal NSF) was published, the Government made a commitment to publish a good practice guide on the NSF's implications for children.

This document delivers that commitment and goes further. It includes the standards, quality requirements and markers of good practice in the Renal NSF and links them to the standards in the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services(the Children's NSF). This document brings together the overarching vision of these publications.

Kidney disease is luckily rare among children and young people. While advancing medical knowledge and a better resourced NHS are producing improved outcomes for children with kidney disease, the social and educational challenges for young kidney patients remain. This document is in keeping with current NHS reform in seeking to create a health service that is centred around the patient. We want to see a service that always thinks about what would be better for the patient, rather than what is easiest to organise or provide. We want to see an NHS where the services available to people are continually striving to better meet their needs, circumstances and individual preferences. Our aim is for a health service that listens and consults with patients and the public, and through doing this offers an improved service.

We have worked closely with members of the paediatric renal community and with the Renal Advisory Group in drawing together this document, which articulates the standards and quality requirements of paediatric renal services as clearly as possible, and makes the Renal and Children's NSFs accessible.

Rosie Winterton
Minister of State for Health Services

• Download The national service framework for renal services: working for children and young people (PDF, 828K)