Peer Phone Buddies for Black Kidney Patients

Gift of Living Donation (GOLD) is launching Peer Phone Buddies, a new scheme during Organ Donation Week in response to COVID 19 to support black kidney patients and their loved ones who wish to know more about living kidney donation. The scheme will help AKCC, Low Clearance Nurses and Living Donor Co-ordinators to support black patients with CKD.

GOLD advocates for Transplant First and early conversations about living donation between patients, loved ones and peer phone buddies could see an increase in the number of pre-emptive transplants for black patients.

Many services provided by hospitals have been cancelled due to Covid19, one service that has been affected is the renal transplant educational seminars. These seminars provide valuable information to patients with CKD and their loved ones on renal failure, treatment options, living donation and transplantation.

Data shows that there is a disproportionately high rate of CKD in the Black community and access to transplantation, in particular living donation, is low in this population when compared with people from other backgrounds. We know one of the key reasons is the reluctance of black patients to have the conversation about living donation with family and friends. We understand that just the thought of asking someone to consider donating can be daunting and make patients anxious and fearful. How do they start the conversation? How do they ask loved ones that all-important question that could be life-changing for them?

The purpose of the scheme is to:

• Empower patients to have those early conversations about living donation with loved ones as this could lead to having a transplant first instead of dialysis
• Encourage loved ones to consider coming forward as a living donor
• Educate patients and loved ones on the pre and post living donation and transplant process
• Enhance the quality of life for black patients with CKD through the sharing of powerful black stories of living kidney donation

Role of Peer Phone Buddies:

Phone Buddies are living kidney donors and transplant recipients from across the UK who have lived experience of living kidney donation. They are trained to provide confidential, friendly telephone peer support, offer practical advice and signpost patients and families to other services. Phone Buddies do not provide medical or clinical advice.

To find out more please visit Gift of Living donation here.