This is the first detailed workforce report in the UK that describes the provision of psychosocial care to kidney patients across 84 renal units. It presents an overview of the renal psychosocial workforce (in July 2017) and compares this to results of an earlier snapshot report written in 2002. Psychosocial care is support for psychological or social problems usually provided by professionals such as psychologists, social workers, counsellors, youth workers and welfare advisors. Studies show that kidney patients face many problems, for which these professionals provide much needed help. The current report shows the following findings: • Renal units employ different combinations of psychosocialstaff. For example, In some units a social worker andpsychologist work together, whereas in other units thiswould be a counsellor and a psychologist. • There are inequalities and large variations in the number of psychosocial staff available to help patients within units. 12 units (14%) have no psychosocial staff dedicated to kidney patients, 34 units (40%) have one or two dedicated staff, and 38 units (46%) provide three or more psychosocial staff to care for their patients. • The number of psychologists (in adult services) hasincreased over the past 15 years but the number of socialworkers has decreased. Overall, these adult psychosocialservices have increased with 25%, but this is not as muchas the increase in number of patients of about 50%. • In paediatric services, psychology and social work services overall have decreased with 21% compared to 2002. • None of the 84 units employ the recommended number ofsocial workers (proposed in 2002). • Only 4 units (5%) employ the recommended number ofpsychologists (proposed in 2002). These results suggest that there are not enoughpsychosocial staff to provide care to all renal patients.The provision of renal psychosocial care is patchy andappears to be inadequate. Further research into thepsychosocial needs of kidney patients is necessary, todevelop innovative solutions to provide equitable care andevidence based psychosocial clinical guidelines
