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Renal counselling and social care

Kidney (renal)

Information for patients

The renal counsellors offer face to face sessions at Cambridge Dialysis Centre, and phone sessions to all other units and to those that live too far to attend at CDC in person.

Appointment times with renal counsellors are given on an individual basis.

Conditions we work with include:

  • Anxiety – including generalised anxiety, anxiety disorder, and general health related anxiety or phobias e.g. working to reduce anxiety around invasive procedures such as the creation of a fistula.
  • Depression – assessing and working with depression or mood disorder.
  • Trauma – working with patients experiencing different levels of trauma including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  • Psychiatric disorders – including supporting patients who have bi-polar/manic depression, and personality disorders.
  • Loss, grief, uncertainty, and the unknown.
  • Body image.
  • Pain management.
  • General stress, rest, relaxation and sleep difficulties.
  • Eating, fluid or dietary problems.
  • Relationships, intimacy, sexual problems, fertility.
  • Relatives or carers psychological support in relation to CKD treatment, end of life concerns.
  • End of life care, death and dying for patient and family/carer.

Patient support

We are not a crisis response service. If you are in crisis please contact:

For non-urgent support and information, please visit the links on the right-hand side of the page under 'Useful links'

Referral information

Self referral – please email or phone us

Ask your doctor, nurse or member of the team to refer you to us

Please note - we can only accept referrals with the following information:

Name, date of birth, MRN/hospital number, reason for referral

Departments/Units

We are based at Cambridge Dialysis Centre, Ditton Walk, Cambridge CB5 8PD.

We cover dialysis units at: Hinchingbrooke (Huntingdon), Kings Lynn, West Suffolk Hospital (Bury St Edmunds).

We support patients on dialysis, in low clearance, and home therapies.

Key personnel

  • Ali Carnegie MBACP (Accred)– specialist renal counsellor
  • Gillian Chumbley MSc. UKCP – psychotherapist & specialist renal counsellor