Archived Content Notice
You are currently accessing the Think Kidneys website. Please be aware that this site is an archive and contains content from the Think Kidneys project, which concluded in 2019. As a result, the information presented here is no longer being updated or maintained.
For the most current and relevant information, we encourage medical professionals to visit the UK Kidney Association for comprehensive resources and updates in the field. Patients and their families can find valuable, patient-centric information and support at Kidney Care UK.
We would also like to inform you that the Kidney Quality Improvement Partnership (KQIP) is now part of the UK Kidney Association. For more information, please visit KQIP’s homepage under the UK Kidney Association.
We thank you for your understanding and invite you to explore these recommended resources for up-to-date insights and guidance in kidney care and health.
Click on the names below to view short bios of each member.
Partnership Board
Ranjit Klare
Ranjit Klare is a Quality Improvement Programme Manager for KQuIP working in the North East of England.
Ranjit has 10 years of experience of operational and strategic management within the Public and Charitable sector. More recently, at Macmillan Cancer Support worked as a National Programme Manager with external stakeholders, delivering benefits advice for people affected by cancer.
Ranjit has long standing interests in service development, continuous Quality Improvement and welfare and was a member of the Board of Trustees for a Social Justice charity promoting work of the independent social welfare legal advice services.
Sharlene Greenwood
Dr Sharlene Greenwood is a Consultant Renal Physiotherapist at King’s College Hospital, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at King’s College London University, the chair of the UK Kidney Research Consortium Exercise and Lifestyle Clinical Study Group, and the President of the British Renal Society.
Sharlene has 15 years of experience as a specialist renal physiotherapist. She leads a clinical and research team of 16 therapists, leading on various research and clinical innovation projects in renal, cardiac and physical activity.
Sharlene is passionate about supporting, and encouraging exercise services for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. She has a keen interest in Quality Improvement (QI) and as the co-chair of KQuIP, Sharlene is facilitating the implementation of key national QI projects at a regional and national level.
Hannah Young
Paul Cockwell
Paul Cockwell is a consultant physician and nephrologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham and South West Birmingham Hospitals and professor of nephrology at the University of Birmingham, UK.
Paul is clinical vice president of the UK Renal Association, the professional representative group for UK kidney specialists. He chairs the Royal College of Physicians joint specialty committee for renal medicine.
Paul has helped lead the clinical development in Birmingham of one of the largest and most comprehensive renal services in Europe, and has developed a large integrated clinical research infrastructure supporting multiple outputs (see pubmed: Cockwell P). Paul has long standing interests in service development, clinical quality, and education.
Paul has a number of interests outside work, including playing and competing in sport, particularly squash and cycling (in which he averages a significant fall (‘a yard sale’)) every 6 months, and keeping his two teenage sons in line.
Kerry Tomlinson
Dr Kerry Tomlinson trained at Cambridge and Oxford (but supports Cambridge in the boat race) and completed her renal specialist training in Nottingham. She joined University Hospitals North Midlands as a consultant in 2002. She works in all aspects of renal medicine. She sub-specializes in renal transplantation and has been transplant lead nephrologist at UHNM since 2002. In that role she improved access to transplant listing for UHNM patients. The UHNM transplant service was commended as a local model of excellence in the West Midlands Peer Review 2010. Kerry was co-project lead for the West Midlands Strategic Cardiovascular Network/Renal Registry QI project “Transplant First: Addressing inequality in access to Kidney Transplantation in the West Midlands”. She now leads the Transplant First Project as adopted by KQUIP and chairs the West Midlands Transplant improvement group.
Ron Cullen
Ron is Director of the UK Renal Registry and has more than 30 years’ experience working in the NHS, starting his career after his degree at Aberystwyth University as a biomedical scientist. Ron then went on to work in the fields of governance and quality improvement with senior roles in these areas including Director of the National Clinical Governance Support Team and Head of Healthcare Quality and Standards within the Department of Health. Ron has lectured and presented on quality improvement across the globe.
When he’s not working, Ron likes spending time with his family and is a bit of a Rugby nut – he coaches an under 16 Rugby team and says ‘it’s the best game in the world’.
Ron can be contacted at Ron.Cullen@renalregistry.nhs.uk
Richard Fluck
Richard is Consultant Nephrologist and Director of the Renal Unit at Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Chair of the Think Kidneys Programme Board and Co-Chair of the Transforming Participation in Chronic Kidney Disease Programme.
Richard trained at Trinity Hall, Cambridge and the London Hospital Medical College, qualifying in 1985. His early training was in the East London area before he moved into research at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Richard was appointed a British Heart Foundation Fellow to explore the link between cardiovascular disease, calcium signalling and abnormalities of calcium metabolism in chronic kidney disease. He returned to the Royal London Hospital as lecturer and honorary senior registrar in nephrology, before being appointed as a single handed nephrologist at Derby in 1996.
In 2013 Richard was appointed National Clinical Director for Renal for a three year tenure and has also chaired the Kidney Alliance as well as being President of the British Renal Society. Richard’s special interests are in chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, home dialysis therapies, reducing infection in dialysis patients and vascular access.
Richard describes himself as a ‘gadget geek’ and struggles to manage without technology when he’s camping. Away from work music is important to Richard – he plays guitar (and, we’ve heard tell, the ukulele and that he once played in an Abba tribute band, listens to Genesis. His favourite place to visit is the Larmer Tree Festival. He’s also a keen reader and theatre lover.
There are a few other things it might be useful to know about Richard. He qualified as a marksman for the British Army, nearly fell out of a helicopter over Salisbury Plain, drove a 50 ton tank that had no brakes, and during his time in Cambridge rode a bike only three times, all of which ended in injury! Given you’re a keen marathon runner Richard we’d like to suggest you’re safest on two legs! We’ve also heard he goes to Derby County matches, but isn’t a supporter – just takes his son along…….yeah right……
Daljit Hothi
Dal Hothi is a Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist and clinical lead for Home Haemodialysis (HD) at Great Ormond Street Hospital. HD has been her passion and interest for many years. She completed her MD in Paediatric HD split between two sites, Sick Kids Toronto and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). She then secured funding for a 4 year Home HD pilot at GOSH but was successful in achieving substantive status at the end of year 2. As a team they have trained and recruited in excess of 30 patients to date, the largest paediatric cohort internationally.
Dal is Clinical Improvement and Patient Safety Expert. She is the Associate Medical Director for Quality, Safety & Patient Experience and is Co-Chair of the Development workstream for the Kidney Quality Improvement Partnership (KQuIP). She is a ‘Q’ member and part of the Expert Working Group for the Paediatric Chapter.
Katie Fielding
Katie has worked as a haemodialysis nurse for the last 17 years, presently working part-time as the clinical educator for the haemodialysis unit at Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She recently obtained a MDT Fellowship in vascular access with the UK Renal Registry, where she is finally getting time to explore her interest in research. Her clinical interests are haemodialysis, vascular access, patient safety, acute kidney injury and education for renal nurses
Katie helped create the BRS Vascular Access Special Interest Group, is chair for the KQuIP Measurement and Understanding workstream as well as leading MAGIC (BRS VA / VASBI vascular access project supported by KQuIP). She is passionate about QI and has led a number of local QI initiatives in Derby renal unit around her areas of clinical interest. As well as national and regional initiatives, Katie is particularly interested in how KQuIP can inspire numerous local QI projects in renal units across the UK, improving the care of people with kidney disease in small but numerous ways.
Much of Katie’s spare time is taken up looking after and riding her horse and spending time with her much neglected husband.
Paul Bristow
Paul is Director of Marketing Communications at Kidney Care UK, the UK’s leading kidney patient support charity working to improve the quality of life for everyone affected by kidney disease. Following a career in Marketing in the private sector, Paul has spent over 10 years working in national charities with a particular focus on long term health conditions. He has been at Kidney Care UK since 2014, and a member of the Senior Management Team responsible for developing and promoting patient support services, ensuring that the patient voice is at the heart of improvements in health and care services and campaigning for change.
Fiona Loud
In her student years (‘a long time ago’), Fiona studied a BA (Hons) English at Southampton University. However, after her student years Fiona pursued and continues to pursue her interest in healthcare. Fiona’s roles at present is Policy Director for Kidney Care UK, and co-chairs the Risk workstream for the Acute Kidney Injury National Programme.
Fiona is Chair of the UK Renal Registry Patient Council, the West Herts Hospital Organ Donation committee and is vice chair at The Local Kidney Patients Association at Lister Hospital. In her spare time (though we find it hard to believe she has any!) Fiona takes things at a bit more relaxed pace, and enjoys activities such as sleeping, reading, and going for long walks with the family dog, Ollie.
Richard Baker
Richard originally trained in medicine at Cambridge University and then the Royal London Hospital where he graduated in 1990. He joined the SHO rotation at Guy’s Hospital and then started renal specialist training in 1993, working at Ashford Hospital in Middlesex followed by Hammersmith Hospital in West London. he was awarded an MRC training fellowship in 1996 and completed his PHD in 2001. After completing his CCT in nephrology and general medicine he moved to Leeds to take up a position as a consultant nephrologist in 2001. Since that time he worked in all areas of nephrology but with a specialist interest in transplantation. He has run a 48 station satellite dialysis unit since 2002 and has experience of looking after patient’s on peritoneal dialysis. He continues to contribute to the on-call nephrologist rota and inpatient duties. His particular interests include tubulointerstitial nephritis, glomerular disease and all aspects of transplantation. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications and was awarded an honorary clinical associate professorship by Leeds University in 2014. He has been heavily involved in the British Transplantation Society since 2009 and served as the treasurer on the executive committee between 2011 and 2016. In 2016 he was appointed as Chair of the Renal Services Clinical Reference Group.
Usha Appalsawmy
Usha started her career as a doctor in Scotland after graduating from the University of Aberdeen. Since 2013, she has been a renal registrar in the Yorkshire & Humber region. She is currently out of programme working with the Academic Health Science Network Improvement Academy on a wide range of quality improvement initiatives.
Usha is very passionate about her role and is committed to supporting junior doctors engage more in healthcare leadership roles.
Twitter handle: @usha_app
Lisa Burnapp
Lisa is a Consultant Nurse at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust where she is Lead Nurse – Living Donation, NHS Blood and Transplant. With regard to KQuIP Lisa is Member of the Partnership Board as the British Transplant Society’s representative and Leadership Workstream.
Lisa’s special interest in quality improvement is in developing multi-disciplinary leadership to sustain quality improvement initiatives that enable patients and their families to have access to their best options for kidney care and treatment.
When she’s not working Lisa is planning a trip to Antarctica, playing the saxophone or doing anything outdoors.
Hugh Gallagher
Hugh is a consultant nephrologist at Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust. His pre-clinical training was undertaken at Trinity College Cambridge and clinical training at Chairing Cross and West Minster Medical School. He studies for his PHD at the University of London. Hugh is chairing the KQuIP Projects workstream for KQuIP and has a special interest in quality improvement. Hughs main interests in quality improvement are:
- Improving care at interface between primary and secondary care
- The science of quality improvement
- Quality improvement in peritoneal dialysis
In what limited spare time he has, he enjoys running, reading and relaxing, listening to many types of contemporary music. His destination of choice is hiking in Iceland – whilst his legs are still up to it!
Jan Dudley
Jan is a Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist, at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Jan’s career began in 1996 when she was Chef de Clinique Assistant, Néphrologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris. Following two years as a senior registrar and locum consultant in paediatric nephrology, Jan completed her PhD in Transplantation Sciences.
For KQuIP, Jan is a Board member and our link to the British Association for Paediatric Nephrology where she is Co-chair of the Quality Improvement and Innovations Group. Regarding quality improvement Jan’s interests are as follows –
1. Clinical Standards: Chair of BAPN Clinical Standards committee 2013-
2. Chair of the Clinical Standards Committee (CSC) of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH; 2009-13)
3. Chair of the Clinical Effectiveness (CE) Committee at University Hospitals Bristol (UHB; 2009-14)
4. Executive (chair) of Health Foundation funded ‘Headsmart’ Quality Improvement national campaign 2010- 2012
Jan is also Chair of infoKID (a high quality, web-based information programme for parents and carers of children with kidney conditions with information standard accreditation).
In any spare time Jan has she likes to watch and epic tennis match in the heat with a glass of Pimm’s and if she had more time she would like to play the guitar well. Jan can manage without her smart phone but only when she is on holiday, so presumably if she visited the destination at the top of her bucket list, she could manage quite well in Myanmar.
Gill Manning
Gill is Scientific Advisor for Janssen Diabetes and represents the Association of Renal Industries on the KQuIP Board. Gill is also a member of the communications workstream. With a background in medical biochemistry, Gill is practical and pragmatic in her approach and brings marketing and communications expertise and skills to help us ‘get things done’.
In her spare time Gill is a closet Barry Manilow fan (until now that is!) and if she could dine with anyone it would be her Grandpa so that she could talk to him about his life now she is an adult. All that before jetting back to Vietnam and the Maldives which are her favourite destinations.
Michael Nation
Michael is Development Director for Kidney Research UK and is a Board member and member of the projects workstream for KQuIP.
An ex-army officer Michael’s training includes Special Educational Needs: Development – Training – resource improvement, medical research: all aspects, health inequalities and quality improvement.
He has a special interest in bridging the gap between research evidence and clinical adoption to improve the quality of care for patients.
Key words for Michael are focus – deliver – better care.
Away from work Michael must be light on his feet – he’d like to learn to Tango and his guilty pleasure is Edith Piaf, red wine and ballroom dancing! His sport is cycling and the trip he’d like to do is Route 66 in the USA – whether that’s driving it, cycling it or dancing it, we’re not quite sure!
Julie Slevin
Julie worked as a District Nurse before moving into improvement. She led the Productive Care Programme for NHS South of England SHA – teaching lean skills to clinicians and improving patient care. At the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, Julie worked on various improvement programmes, including Productive Community Services. More recently, at NHS Improving Quality in the Patient Experience team, Julie ran patient and clinician events and did research for the Department of Health on the experience of women who suffer from loss in pregnancy.