The following guidelines may be helpful for all kidney patients, including predialysis patients and transplant patients. See also specific guidelines for PD, HD and transplant patients (LINKS):
Talk to your unit - before doing anything, talk to your unit. You will need a letter from them confirming you are fit to travel in order to obtain holiday insurance, and their advice regarding immunisation. If you are on dialysis you will need their help in planning your treatment while on holiday.
Choose your destination - whatever your treatment, it makes sense to ensure you are within reasonable reach of medical support in case of emergencies.
Choose your accommodation - check that the accommodation you are considering is suitable for you and any special requirements that you may have. For example, if it is a hotel, do they cater for special diets?
What to ask a Dialysis Unit before booking - Before selecting an overseas clinic for your holiday dialysis, you are advised to write to the chosen hospital to ask:
If you are satisfied with the answers and wish to proceed, then ask your renal consultant to make the necessary arrangements. The receiving hospital will require medical details and there is a standard form E111D which should be completed by your hospital doctor. Some units have their own form instead of E111D.
Holiday insurance - Don’t book your holiday until you take out holiday insurance which covers you for pre-existing medical conditions. Most standard policies do not. Click here for more details on holiday insurance.
European Health Insurance Card - EHIC - (replaces Form E111 from 1 Jan 2006) - If you are travelling to any of the countries listed in the table below, ensure you have a European Health Insurance Card (NB. these last for 3 to 5 years before you will need to apply again - see your EHIC when you get it for the Expiry Date). These can be applied for by:
In the event of a minor health emergency, this entitles you (one card per person) to the same free or subsidised hospital treatment as would be provided to citizens of the country you are visiting (note this means some of the costs may be payable in some countries).
At your Post Office you can get a booklet called Health Advice for Travellers with more information for each country plus information if you are travelling outside the countries in the table below.
Countries covered by the EHIC include the 25 European Union (EU) countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The EU currently consists of: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus (South only), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.
Switzerland: As a result of an agreement with the EU, which came into force on 1 June 2002, the EHIC arrangements also cover Switzerland. See the UK Dept. of Health website (link below) for details of who is eligible for medical assistance in this country.
The EHIC also covers treatment you need for chronic disease or pre-existing illness but you will need to make arrangements in advance for kidney dialysis. However, the EHIC does not provide cover should you need to fly home urgently, nor if you need to return from holiday because a transplant kidney becomes available. Suitable Holiday Insurance is required for this (click here for details of such Insurance). Keep your EHIC in a safe place with you when you go abroad, eg, with your passport.
Further information on the EHIC is available from the UK Department of Health Travellers website
Details of the various health hazards and diseases abroad can also be obtained from MASTA (Medical Advisory Service to Travellers Abroad) who can provide an individual health brief (recommended immunisations, together with up to date health news and travel advice from the Foreign Office) according to the countries you plan to visit, your dates of travel, etc. For more information visit the National Travel Health Network and Centre website (funded by the UK Dept. of Health).
Vaccinations - Find out whether you need any vaccinations for your destination but check with your renal unit before having any vaccinations - some may not be recommended for kidney patients, and transplant patients have to be especially careful of vaccines - Click here for more information.
Medication - always divide your supply of tablets. Keep half with you in your hand luggage, and pack the other half in the luggage you check in, or give it to a travelling companion to carry.
Take a letter from your doctor stating that the drugs you are carrying are prescription drugs. Make sure you have written down the prescription names (as written on the label) of the medication you are on, so that if your supply is lost, you can advise doctors accordingly.
If you need to take medication with you that must be kept cool, pack it in a small cool bag (the type sold for school lunches and picnics) or jiffy bag with ice packs, or use a wide neck thermos flask, which has been chilled. EPO does not need refrigeration for journeys of up to 6 hours, but make sure you allow time for transfers and delays when calculating the length of your journey.
On your return trip, make sure you declare to customs any drugs you were given or prescribed whilst abroad.
First aid Kit - take an emergency supply of plaster, painkillers, insect bite ointment and diarrhoea tablets. As always, check with your renal unit regarding any over-the-counter drugs you are taking.
Food and drink - Watch what you eat and drink. Talk to your dietician before you go about local foods to avoid. If you are travelling by plane, ask your travel agent to advise the airline of special dietary requirements.
Don’t take any risks in terms of drinking local water unless you are sure it is absolutely safe - the same applies to ice cubes and teeth-brushing (use bottled water and tie a ribbon around the bathroom tap to remind yourself not to drink from it or brush your teeth with it).
Sun Protection - make sure you take a high factor sunscreen with you and avoid overexposure to the sun. Sun protection is particularly important for transplant patients - Click here for more information.
Emergencies - Make sure you and your travelling companion(s) have with you at all times emergency contact numbers. These should include the medical contact at your destination (nearest unit or equivalent will be provided by your UK renal unit - make sure you know whether it is open 24 hours, and if not, what your alternative contact number is), numbers of your UK renal unit, travel agent and insurance company.
The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for information provided. The above is for guidance only.
Page created: 20 March 2006
Last updated: 10 April 2008
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