Staff shortage affects dialysis unit

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Staff shortage affects dialysis unit
07 May 2009
By John Edwards

STAFF shortages have led to Bridlington Hospital's dialysis unit cutting its opening times.
In late March, health bosses announced the facility would be doubling its service to operate six days a week.

Weeks later, it is back to a Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule, meaning disruption for patients who have had to change their treatment days again.

One patient, who asked not to be named, said: "Patients were asked who would like to change to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and quite a few did so, and also re-adjusted their lives to fit the four days they were not on dialysis.

"However, only two months later, with just 10 days notice, the unit closed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and went back to just three days again.

"The patients who had adjusted their lives once to attend different days now have to re-adjust again to a different four days free of dialysis."

The patient challenged health trust chief executive Richard Sunley's recent comments about the trust hitting targets and having a £1.9million surplus last year.

"What kind of target does this meet Mr Sunley?" asked the patient.

"The reason for the sudden closure is shortage of dialysis nurses.

"Maybe if the trust had spent some of the £1.9million recruiting more nurses before the unit opened last October, there would not have been this fiasco now.

"The nurses have done a great job keeping people alive, in spite of the trust not being forward thinking."

The unit opened last November and meant about 16 patients, who previously had to travel to Scarborough or Hull regularly, could have treatment closer to home.

It is run by Fresensius Medical Care Renal Services, in partnership with the Scarborough health trust, and provides 12 stations and two isolation rooms with state-of-the-art facilities and high-tech equipment.

Patients said nurses from Scarborough, Hull and even Scunthorpe had helped the Bridlington team, but the six-day service is now on hold.

A spokesman for Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust said: "Due to staff shortages, the renal dialysis unit is now operating three days a week to ensure patient safety.

"We hope it will return to six days working as soon as possible.

"We have been working with patients to ensure they receive a flexible dialysis service."

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