Dialysis Unit in 'crisis' claims local charity

Ally McGilvray 1606 - 1606 • Published 2 Apr 2008 10:00 0 Comments

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A CRISIS is crippling a local hospital service and forcing more patients from the Borders to endure a 60-mile round trip to Edinburgh for life-saving treatment, according to a local charity.

The Borders Kidney Patient Trust, which celebrated its 21st birthday last week, has warned a shortage of space at Borders General Hospital is threatening the future of the dialysis unit in Melrose.

It revealed patients are queuing up to get vital treatment at the local satellite unit three times a week.

And, this week, the Hawick-based charity, which raises money for research into kidney disease, has announced plans to start a campaign to create a new specialist renal unit in the region.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph, Lilian Cerasoli (nee Rutherford), founder and chairwoman of The Borders Kidney Patient Trust, said:

'The service is in crisis.'

The former transplant patient, who set-up the trust in an effort to stop a procession of patients travelling from the Borders to Edinburgh for treatment, went on to qualify as a nurse and saw how stretched the dialysis unit in Melrose was when she returned to work there last year.

She added: 'It"s a nightmare. If someone"s ill in the satellite unit they get taken up to Edinburgh to be treated, while someone from the city comes down, in a swap. It"s really playing games with people"s lives and it"s not right.'

Charity chiefs have already held crisis talks with the local health board, NHS Borders, to discuss plans to create a new community renal unit in the region, which is led by visiting specialists from Edinburgh, to provide a more holistic approach of care for patients.

It is envisaged the centre could treat all those under the one roof, from patients with slight renal failure through to those in need of a transplant, as well as providing more education about kidney disease, different therapies, and how to prevent it.

Lilian said: 'The way forward is continuity of care.

'Ideally we would like an actual community renal unit, led from Edinburgh, where patients can be dialysed, with separate facilities for patients and staff.

'At the moment there are no staff toilets and no staff changing area and they have to use the same toilets as patients.

'The local dialysis unit is now too small and I saw at first hand how pushed the staff were.'

The Lilian Rutherford suite at Borders General Hospital, which was launched following a £100,000 public fundraising appeal in 1987, has been extended over recent years and now includes six dialysis machines which can accommodate up to 24 patients a week.

However, with as many as nine patients still waiting to be hooked up to a machine and plans for a new building years away, it is claimed extra staff are needed to work round-the-clock, including a twilight shift, so that more patients can be treated in the Borders.

Lilian said: 'We started the trust to save people, like myself, travelling up to Edinburgh. It can take a day to get there and back just for a three or four hour dialysis.

'One lady used to stay over night because there was no transport to get back home at that time.'

She added: 'It"s an ongoing battle but hopefully the Borders folk will get behind us again.'

NHS Borders was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

This article appeared in Border Telegraph 02 Apr 08

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