We are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the start of our activity as a haemodialysis care provider, marked by the opening of the Portalegre Centre on 2 May 2011.

Assessing the past, looking into the future!

Over these ten years, during which we have provided more than 100,000 treatments, we have not only addressed all the questions and challenges we have encountered, but have also consolidated our organisational capacity, which will ensure the controlled management of the future “Alternative Centres Network”.

  • To this end, we developed NephroPlus, an integrated management software system available online, bringing together all clinical and management information, both internally and externally. It eliminates communication errors and enables clinical adjustments where necessary. It carries out a systematic monthly analysis of the treatment provided, enabling the clinical team to make an evidence-based assessment of therapeutic outcomes against the defined objectives. It also recognises the importance of treatment adherence among people with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  • We have developed a Quality Management System that promotes collaborative working across the entire team – the FRP Family – with a view to continuous improvement and the pursuit of Excellence. The certification process for the Portalegre Centre is currently underway.
  • We have also developed an employee accreditation system for resident doctors, nurses, technical assistants and administrative staff, with defined and documented programmes that ensure all employees are fully aware of their responsibilities and carry out their duties accordingly.

Therefore, despite the initial doubts and concerns surrounding the pandemic that confronted us all, after one year we have found that our processes have remained relatively unchanged. Although, as in the wider community, we had patients who tested positive or were suspected of having COVID-19, we responded to every case without reducing treatment times and without any further transmission of infection.

  • At the beginning of this year, a new Board of Trustees took office for the 2021–2025 term.
  • The Elvas Intermediate Care Centre, established by the Portuguese Renal Foundation in response to requests from the local civil and health authorities, is now in the final stages before commencing operations, despite the significant financial commitment this represents for our organisation.
  • In the first half of 2021, construction is scheduled to begin on a new FRP Centre in the Greater Lisbon area.
  • A performance appraisal programme will be introduced for all employees, promoting teamwork and supporting continuous development towards Excellence.
  • We will begin developing the “Alternative Centres Network” established under the Protocol with the Ministry of Health, with the aim of finally achieving the Portuguese Renal Foundation’s objective of decentralising haemodialysis care – an objective once again highlighted in the Competition Authority’s April 2021 report, “Fair Play – We All Gain from Competition.”