What dialysis did as regards the changing attitudes to patients: I remember clearly the business of sharing accommodation between males and females and we were having to defend ourselves to the matron. She was astonished that we had put a female patient with a male patient for dialysis. We said: ‘Do you want her to die or do you want her to live? It’s as simple as that.’ Dr Rosemarie Baillod, History of Dialysis in the UK: c. 1950-1980.

Dr Rosemarie Baillod LRCP MRCS (b. 1936) qualified at the Royal Free Medical School in 1961 and worked in the renal unit there (1964–98). Under the direction of Dr Stanley Shaldon in 1964, she taught the first home haemodialysis patient in the UK and Europe. She was involved in safety, design and efficiency of dialysis equipment and access surgery, oversaw the expansion of home haemodialysis and initiated a children’s home haemodialysis programme in 1969. She was also involved in the development of peritoneal dialysis in the home, setting up intermittent peritoneal dialysis in 1972 and later continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in 1979. She has been emeritus consultant, Royal Free Hospital and emeritus honorary consultant, Great Ormond Street Hospital since 1998.