Conservative care for end-stage kidney disease: joint medical conference with the Renal Association, British Geriatrics Society and Association for Palliative Medicine.

Conservative care is one of the fastest-changing areas of renal medicine. Non-dialytic therapy is now established as a treatment option in most renal units in the UK. This conference reviewed the history of conservative management and examined the state of current practice. The challenges now faced include expanding the evidence base in this area, improving the information given to patients and their families to help them make a decision about treatment, and responding to changes in NHS funding to ensure continued provision of high-quality care.