Constitution

1. Name

The group shall be named the Welsh Clinical Network for Paediatric Nephrology (WCNPN).

2. Purpose

The purpose of the WCNPN is to enhance the provision of paediatric nephrology care to the children of Wales and their families. It will achieve this by promoting the sharing of good practice between professionals involved in the care of children with kidney disease.

The North Wales hospitals are linked to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, which provides tertiary care for paediatric renal patients.  In South Wales the tertiary referral centre is University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.  Paediatric nephrologists from the respective tertiary centres hold joint peripheral clinics in DGH’s across Wales.

3. Membership

Membership of the WCNPN is open to anyone involved in the care of children with kidney disease in Wales.

It is anticipated that each hospital in Wales will nominate a clinician to take a lead role in Paediatric Nephrology and act as a point of contact at their unit. The meetings of the WCNPN will be attended by them or a nominated deputy.

Care of children with kidney disease involves a multi-disciplinary team and attendance at WCNPN meetings of nurses, dieticians, social workers, play therapists and psychologists is encouraged and a representative of each group of professionals would be invited to attend.

Other clinical services are also involved in the care of children with renal disease and contributions from paediatric urology, radiology and other teams will be encouraged.

Patient and parent representatives will be co-opted to attend meetings.

4. Officers

Chairperson – Elected for a 3 year term. Voting for the Chairperson will involve members from each of the seven Health Boards having one vote per hospital. Election of the next Chairperson will take place at least six months before the current Chairperson leaves office in order to ensure continuity.

Secretary / Treasurer - Elected for a 3 year term. Voting for the Secretary will involve members from each of the seven Health Boards having one vote per hospital. Election of the next Secretary will take place at least six months before the current Secretary leaves office in order to ensure continuity.

5. Meetings

There will be two business meetings each year of which one will include an education afternoon.

Meetings will be quorate if the chair and secretary and 3 other members are present.

6. Activities

The WCNPN will achieve its desired aim of enhancing the care of children with renal disease in Wales by:

• developing consensus guidelines and referral patterns for common paediatric renal and urological conditions.
• organising All Wales audits against BAPN standards to critically review patient care.
• facilitating and encouraging DGH participation in national UK audits and research activities.
• helping the development of research experience and expertise in DGHs.
• improving data links between DGHs and the tertiary centre in Cardiff thereby facilitating good communication and information sharing.
• developing National Database s of individual renal diseases thereby facilitating research and audit.
• providing study days to improve knowledge and disseminate good practice.
• collecting feedback from patients and their families in order ensure that the service is responsive to their needs.
• adopting or aspiring to the CYPSS 2009 and Wales Renal NSF (Designed to Tackle Renal Disease in Wales: A National Service Framework 2007) standards.  

7. Alterations to the Constitution

1. Amendments to the Constitution must be proposed in writing to the Secretary by representatives of any two Health Boards not less than three months before the next meeting.
2. The Secretary shall notify all members of the proposed amendment not less than two months before the next meeting.
3. Anyone may submit written counter-proposals to the Secretary, not less than one month before the next meeting.
4. The Secretary shall notify all members of any counter-proposal not less than three weeks before the next meeting.

Click here to view a PDF version of the Constitution