Renal services stretched to limit

[okarol]

Renal services stretched to limit

[Published: Wednesday 11, July 2007 - 13:07]

By Claire Regan

Life-saving services for Ulster people waiting for a kidney transplant are stretched to the limit and in urgent need of more resources, a patients' group warned today.

The Northern Ireland Kidney Patients Association (Nikpa) has spoken out to highlight its concern that the province's six renal centres have either reached full capacity or very close to it.

And with cases of kidney disease expected to rise in future, the centres are certain to be under more pressure.

The charity's spokeswoman, Linda McDowell, highlighted how some areas, such as Coleraine, have no services at all leaving patients with a tiring journey to Belfast to receive dialysis.

The patient group's treasurer said there are currently 271 patients waiting for a kidney transplant in the province and a number of other dialysis patients who are not on the waiting list.

She said that a serious need for more resources is among their biggest concern.

"Although we have six centres, we are at full capacity or near capacity in all of them. There are renal services planned for Coleraine but patients in that area currently have to travel long distances, for example to Belfast City Hospital, to get dialysed," she said.

"This can be very stressful and tiring for a patient in an already difficult situation."

The Hillsborough woman, who had a kidney transplant around 18 months ago, said there were also serious issues around funding for more dialysis stations in renal centres and medical staffing at a senior level.

"These issues have been brought to the attention of the appropriate authorities and are currently being looked at but we need to keep pushing Government to take action and more quickly," she added.

Dialysis is a treatment that artificially does the job of the kidney. Patients usually have to attend a renal unit three times a week for a four-hour treatment. It is the only way those with kidney failure can survive.

Added Mrs McDowell: "Research indicates that because of our present lifestyle more and more people in Northern Ireland will develop chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis.

"That is why it is important that the general public are made more aware of the need for organ transplants."

Nikpa - made up of patients either currently on dialysis or who have received a transplant, relatives and medical staff - is setting up a patient-led focus group at each renal centre and is appealing for more members.

For further information, look up www.nikpa.org.uk. To join the organ donor register, call 084 5606 0400.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article2754086.ece