Patients receiving care from the Western Health and Social Care Trust Renal Service have rated it the highest-performing renal service in the UK for overall experience of care, according to the latest Kidney Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) 2025 survey.

The Western Trust achieved the highest overall score among 66 renal units across the UK for overall experience, improving on its second-place ranking in both 2023 and 2024.

The annual survey, organised by Kidney Care UK and the UK Kidney Association, gathers feedback directly from people using renal services to understand their experiences of care and identify opportunities for improvement. This year's survey received responses from 16,576 patients across the UK.

Patients are asked to rate a range of aspects of their care, including access to the renal team, support, communication, shared decision-making, tests and results, transport to dialysis and the care environment.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust Renal Service, which has been rated the highest-performing renal service in the UK for overall experience of care, according to the latest Kidney Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) 2025 survey.

placeholder image — The Western Health and Social Care Trust Renal Service, which has been rated the highest-performing renal service in the UK for overall experience of care, according to the latest Kidney Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) 2025 survey.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust was ranked first in the UK for:

Access to the renal team
Support provided to patients
Needling for dialysis

The service also ranked first among North’s five renal units in 10 of the 13 categories assessed. These included patient information, fluid and diet advice, tests and results, shared decision-making, privacy and dignity, scheduling and planning, and how staff treat patients.

Speaking about the achievement Geraldine McKay, Director of Unscheduled Care, Medicine, Cancer and Clinical Services in the Western Health and Social Care Trust said: “This is an outstanding achievement for our Renal Service and a reflection of the exceptional care, dedication and professionalism shown by staff every day.

The Renal Team at the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex

“To be ranked first in the UK for overall experience of care, by the people who use our services is something everyone involved should be incredibly proud of. These results demonstrate the commitment of our multidisciplinary teams to providing compassionate, person-centred care and ensuring patients feel supported throughout their treatment journey.

“I would like to sincerely thank all of our staff for their continued hard work and commitment, and our patients for taking the time to share their experiences through the survey.”

Dr Frank McCarroll, Consultant Nephrologist and Lead Clinician for Renal Services in the Western Health and Social Care Trust, said: “We are delighted that our service users have rated the Western Trust Renal Service as the highest scoring renal service in the UK for overall experience.

“This achievement belongs to our entire multidisciplinary team, who work tirelessly to deliver the highest standards of care and support for patients and their families. We continually review and improve our services, and feedback from patients is central to that process.

“We would like to thank everyone who completed the survey. Their feedback helps us understand what we are doing well and where we can continue to improve. We remain committed to delivering excellent care and maintaining these high standards in the years ahead.”

The Western Trust said it is encouraging all users of its renal services to take part in the next Kidney PREM survey, which will run from September 14, 2026, to November 9, 2026.