Patient care tops agenda at kidney conference

Improving the standard of care for the 5 per cent of people in the UK who are affected by chronic kidney disease will be on the agenda at a major conference in Glasgow tomorrow (Tuesday 29 April).

Supported by the VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund, UK Kidney Week 2014 – staged jointly by the British Renal Society and the Renal Association – runs at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) until Friday.

Around 1,100 delegates – including surgeons, doctors, nurses, social workers, pharmacists and patients – are expected to attend the four-day conference, the biggest multi-disciplinary event of its kind. Experts are travelling to Glasgow from across the UK and Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the conference expected to lead to expenditure of almost £1.8 million* in the local economy.

Latest figures show that around 4,500 people in Scotland are either on dialysis or have undergone a kidney transplant. Raising awareness on the importance of being a donor, improving the quality of life for patients and increasing the current average lifespan of 15 years for transplanted kidneys will also be on the agenda during the week.

Dr Simon Ball, President of the British Renal Society, said: “The conference will be a combination of workshops, presentations and guest speakers but, perhaps most importantly, it will allow delegates the chance to share with each other their experiences and best practice. Glasgow is a vibrant city and is the ideal location for the conference and our delegates are really looking forward to what promises to be a productive and memorable event.”

Kerry Watson, Associations Marketing Manager at VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit, said: “We are delighted that this important conference is taking place in Glasgow, which boasts not only world-class facilities but also a wealth of things for delegates to see and do while they are in Scotland.

“Business tourism is a £1.9 billion industry for Scotland and international association conferences such as UK Kidney Week play a huge part in that. The VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund was set up just over two years ago and it has already secured 46 international association conferences, going up to the year 2021.”

Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions at Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB), said: “We have been working closely with UK Kidney Week and I am delighted to welcome this conference to Glasgow, which will bring a wealth of health professionals from across the world to the city and provide a significant boost to the local economy.

“UK Kidney Week’s decision to come to Glasgow in 2014 reflects the strength of the city’s medical research and development credentials, and underlines our emergence as a hub for information sharing, specialist knowledge and expertise, and business and academic excellence.

“Glasgow is recognised not just as the UK’s conferencing capital, but as one of the world’s premier business tourism destinations, and the commitment to partnership working across the city’s conventions sector is what sets us apart from our competitors. We’re home to a ‘can do’ culture and we’re always willing to go the extra mile to ensure success; presenting a strong, united meeting and incentive product to conference organisers.”

Set up in 2012, the VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund has helped to secure conferences in Scotland with a predicted spend by attendees of £106 million. So far, 46 international association conferences – going up to the year 2021 – have been secured from Bid Fund investments totalling £936,000. This has been match-funded by local authorities from around the country for selected not-for-profit conferences.

The conferences, which are expected to attract a total of around 62,000 delegates, cover everything from life sciences and education to food and drink and renewable energy. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, have all been making use of the Bid Fund, with other conferences taking place in the likes of Perth, St Andrews and Shetland.

* Projected spend at an individual conference is based on delegate multipliers according to the type of event, duration, and number of delegates.

ENDS

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