Renal and transplantation services in CALHN

Central and Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Services (CNARTS)

CNARTS is one of Australia’s largest dialysis and transplant units.

Our service provides medical, nursing and allied health expertise for all stages of CKD, dialysis, kidney, pancreas and islet transplant, conservative care, young adult transition care, obstetric nephrology care and surgical management of renal patients.

CNARTS is accredited to provide undergraduate teaching, basic physician training and advanced training in nephrology. We have a strong focus on teaching, training and mentorship of junior doctors. Many of the unit alumni have advanced to highly successful careers in nephrology in Australia and New Zealand.

CNARTS has a strong culture of academic nephrology excellence. We encourage and support all unit members in research activities including formal research qualifications. Our annual research report can be found via the link below. 

Our staff members hold a variety of leadership roles in nephrology professional organisations for Australia and New Zealand and have strong academic ties to research institutions.

CNARTS is closely linked and co-located to the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant registry (ANZDATA) which is one of the leading clinical quality registries for kidney failure in the world. https://www.anzdata.org.au/anzdata/

Contact details

Services

Services include:

  • Management of all kidney conditions and chronic kidney disease (CKD)
  • Inpatient and outpatient consultant-led service (medical and surgical)
  • Peritoneal and haemodialysis - in hospital, self-managed, in home and via outreach ‘satellite’ units across South Australia (SA)
  • Dialysis Start Program (see more information on this page)
  • Kidney, pancreas and islet cell transplantation - SA and NT patients
  • Dialysis access - medical and surgical
  • Youth Transition Clinics
  • Obstetric Nephrology Service – pre-pregnancy planning for men and women, antenatal care and post-partum follow up
  • Kidney Care Team – CKD and renal treatment options education and support
  • Renal nurse practitioners - home therapies, haemodialysis and supportive care
  • Allied Health renal specialists: dietetics, social work, pharmacy, psychology, Aboriginal health practitioner
  • Renal nurse specialist consultation and service coordination for: vascular access, transplantation, complex care needs
  • 24/7 onsite and on-call medical staff
  • Regional area and telemedicine consults

Services not provided:

  • Urinary Tract Obstruction
  • Assessment of Renal Tumours
  • Prostatic and other urological issues – please refer to Urology
  • Paediatric Nephrology

Dialysis Start Program

The Central Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service Dialysis Start Program is an intensive multidisciplinary service supporting patients and their care providers during the medically and socially challenging period of starting life-saving dialysis.

Patients are under the oversight of the program for the period of starting and stabilising on dialysis, usually 4-6 weeks. Patients are supported by a care team of specialised nurse practitioners, dialysis nurses, nephrologists, dieticians, and pharmacists, with additional support from occupational therapy, social work and psychology services if needed.

The Dialysis Start Program co-ordinates these services, links in with primary care, and ensures that all patients have access to high quality, safe and patient centred care.

Please note that Dialysis Start Program is available for patients starting their dialysis treatments at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Dialysis Start Program enquiries:

  • Renal Nurse Practitioner Fiona Donnelly (08) 70742559 or 0415618606

 

 

CNARTS service locations

Summary table

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CNARTS Consulting Nephrologists and Surgeons

Consultant Nephrologists and listed locations

Prof Randall Faull (Head of Unit)

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Payneham Dialysis Unit

Dr Jobert Anjelo

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Gawler Health Services
  • Port Augusta Hospital

Dr Samantha Bateman

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Murray Bridge Hospital
  • Broken Hill Base Hospital
  • Nunkuwarrin Yunti

A/Prof Robert Carroll

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital (including the Young Adult clinic)
  • Women’s and Children’s Hospital Transition Clinic

A/Prof Philip Clayton

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre
  • Payneham Dialysis Centre
  • Port Pirie Hospital

Prof Toby Coates (Director of Transplantation)

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Mt Gambier Hospital
  • Clare District Hospital
  • Darwin Hospital
  • Alice Springs Hospital

Dr Susan Crail

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Payneham Dialysis Centre
  • Kanggawodli
  • Ceduna GP Plus
  • Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands

Dr Tony Elias

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Lyell McEwin Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre
  • Payneham Dialysis Centre

Dr Georgina Irish

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Broken Hill Base Hospital

A/Prof Shilpa Jesudason

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre

Dr Jola Kapojos

  • Lyell McEwin Hospital
  • Modbury Hospital
  • Port Augusta Hospital

Dr Maleeka Ladhani

  • Lyell McEwin Hospital

Prof Stephen McDonald (Director of Dialysis)

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre
  • Gawler Health Services
  • Tanunda Hospital
  • Whyalla Hospital
  • Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands
  • Darwin Hospital
  • Alice Springs Hospital

Prof Chen Au Peh

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre

A/Prof Nitesh Rao

  • Lyell McEwin Hospital
  • Berri Hospital

Dr Bee Tan

  • Lyell McEwin Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre
  • Port Pirie Hospital

Dr Chii Yeap

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • Hampstead Dialysis Centre
  • Mount Gambier Health Service

Transplant and Dialysis Access Surgeons

Dr Shantanu Bhattacharjya (Director of Transplant Surgery and Surgery in Renal Failure)

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Women’s and Children’s Hospital
  • Flinders Medical Centre
  • Port Pirie Hospital
  • Port Augusta Hospital

Dr Santosh Olakkengil

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Women’s and Children’s Hospital (renal transplant and vascular access)
  • Flinders Medical Centre
  • Port Augusta Hospital
  • Whyalla Hospital

Dr Christine Russell

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Women’s and Children’s Hospital Flinders Medical Centre
  • Darwin Hospital
  • Alice Springs Hospital

Vascular and Dialysis Access Surgeons

Dr David King (Head of Unit, Vascular Surgery)

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital

Dr Ewan Macaulay

  • Royal Adelaide Hospital

More information

Referral information

For urgent opinion and referrals, contact the on-call renal registrar via the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) switchboard: (08) 7074 0000.

An on-call Consultant is also available.

Please contact the renal registrar or on-call Consultant prior to sending your patient to ED, to facilitate the most appropriate course of action and service*

*The RAH and Lyell McEwin provide acute inpatient dialysis services, other sites provide outpatient dialysis service only. If your patient is on dialysis or in likely need of dialysis, please discuss with the renal registrar or on-call Consultant.

For urgent enquiries about medications, contact the renal pharmacist via the RAH switchboard on speed dial 81006.

  • Urgent referrals are triaged and seen the same day or as soon as possible.
  • Non-urgent referrals are rapidly triaged and seen as soon as possible.
  • All patients have a lead primary nephrologist for continuity of care.
  • Private consultations (Medicare bulk billed) are provided at all locations. Please note: A current referral to a named specialist is required.
  • Patients are triaged on clinical need and may be seen by another specialist to expedite treatment.

Please note:

  • Country and outer metropolitan clinics are generally for review patients only owing to capacity. Initial appointments are usually conducted in RAH or TQEH or Hampstead Renal Dialysis Unit.
  • Telehealth is available for some consultations.
  • Referrals for Lyell McEwin Hospital, Modbury Hospital and Broken Hill consultation should be faxed directly to the hospital outpatients Department; see details at ‘Referral Process’ below.

Information required for referral triage

  • Reason for patient referral – Please indicate urgency
  • All recent and past kidney function tests; CBE, CRP, LFT, urine tests (protein and urine microscopy if blood and protein present); and x-rays (renal tract ultrasound & other imaging)
  • Past Medical History: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension (include historical blood pressure readings), medical comorbidities, family history, previous medical reactions and allergies
  • Current medication list
  • If an interpreter is required

Guidelines for referral priority rating - urgency

Immediate / Emergency

Contact the on-call Renal Registrar via (08) 7074 0000

  • Renal emergencies with threat to major organs
  • Acute kidney disease
  • Advanced kidney failure; chronic or acute

Urgent priority

Contact the on-call Renal Registrar via (08) 7074 0000 to clarify prioritisation

  • Severe / life-threatening hypertension
  • Acute kidney failure / new onset advanced kidney failure
  • Suspected glomerulonephritis, vasculitis or other rapidly progressing immune condition
  • New onset heavy proteinuria
  • Oliguria or Anuria

Intermediate and non-urgent priority

For guidance regarding referral to tertiary services refer to the table below, an excerpt from the Kidney Health Australia

Indications for referral to a nephrologist

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Referral process

Note: referral email address delivers to a secure (un-encrypted) password protected SA Health server. 

For Lyell McEwin Hospital consultations, post referral to LMH OPD Area 1 – Ground Floor; or Fax: 8182 9499. Enquiries: 8182 9966.

For Modbury Hospital consultations, post referral to OPD Area 2&3 – Ground Floor MH or Fax: 8161 2591. Enquiries: 8161 2262.

For Broken Hill consultations email referral to: FWLHD-OutpatientServices@health.nsw.gov.au  or fax to: 08 8087 3689

Referral forms

General enquiries:

Renal nurse practitioners

  • Fiona Donnelly - Haemodialysis: (08) 7074 2559 or 0415 618 606
  • Monique Borlace - Home Dialysis: (08) 7074 4263 or 0466 512 923
  • Laura Lunardi - Renal Supportive Care: (08) 70745441 or 0466354232

Home Dialysis Unit and Dialysis Training Centre

Kidney Care Team Nurses - Renal treatment options education and information

Renal, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Nurse Team

Live Kidney Donation

Renal Vascular Access Nurse Coordinators

Renal Nurse Consultant Complex Care

  • Telephone: 0427940223, or 
  • RAH switch Board on (08) 7074 0000 and request speed dial 81463
  • Email: Brian.Farmer@sa.gov.au

Aboriginal Health Practitioner - Renal

Information for health professionals and patients

CNARTS patient experiences of starting dialysis video

Visit: https://youtu.be/bHRpbCwe8qs or scan the QR code below to watch.

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Kidney Health Australia health professional resources

Kidney Health Australia patient and consumer resources

CNARTS Chronic Kidney Disease Symptom management