Mobile dialysis cuts out long trips to hospital11 September 2008
By Richard Marsden
Corby reporter
A diabetic has praised the work of nurses at a new mobile dialysis unit.
The temporary service, operated by Euromedic International, was launched in the car park of the Glasgow Rangers Supporters' Club in Corby on Tuesday.
For Shelley Bailey, 39, of Bonington Walk, Corby, the hassle of having to go to Leicester General Hospital three times a week has been eased.
She said: "It definitely makes things easier for me.
"Since June this year I've been having to go all the way over to Leicester three times a week.
"I was setting off at about 10.30am and sometimes not getting back to Corby until 6pm or 7pm.
"It's 45 minutes to an hour travelling time, depending on the traffic.
"My appointment at the mobile unit was at 8.30am on Tuesday. It was better than waiting in a hospital room.
"The dialysis was from 8.35am until about 12.05pm. I was home by 1pm and still had the rest of the afternoon, not that you're up for doing much but you can have a little nap.
"It's a big change."
As part of its seven year contract with the East Midlands Renal Network, Euromedic has established the mobile unit in the car park, in Rockingham Road.
The company is currently looking for a suitable site in Corby to establish and get planning permission for a permanent dialysis centre.
One of the first of its kind to be deployed in the UK, it allows patients to be treated much closer to home and avoid lengthy travel times.
But Euromedic's move into the UK has been slightly controversial when its annual accounts showed 71 of its dialysis patients in Poland and Turkey caught hepatitis C in 2006.
Chief executive of the UK section, Keith Evans, said: "In both cases, the local public authorities have thoroughly investigated the circumstances and have exonerated Euromedic from any fault.
"We would imagine these newspaper articles have been triggered by a competitor who is resorting to smear tactics in the hope of reducing competition for NHS service contracts, which could limit the ability of trusts to get value for money."
Speaking about the Corby unit, Mr Evans said: "The first day went very well. We had 10 patients and it makes a big difference to them. By the end of September, we could be treating up to 40."
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