Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands MSP, today highlighted at Health Questions in the Scottish Parliament the plight of dialysis patients in Argyll, who face frequent and lengthy journeys for kidney dialysis at hospitals elsewhere because there is no dialysis unit in Argyll & Bute.
Jamie and Councillor Donald Kelly (Argyll First, South Kintyre) are continuing to back calls from local dialysis patients for a satellite dialysis unit to be provided within Argyll.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland previously set a target for NHS Boards that they should provide hospital dialysis within 30 minutes travelling time for all patients, allowing for the constraints of population density and geography. However, as Jamie set out today at Health Question Time, currently a number of kidney dialysis patients in the Campbeltown area are required to travel, three times a week, to the Vale of Leven Hospital, Alexandria - a round trip each time of 232 miles and 5 hours 20 minutes - for their treatment.
Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said that he appreciated the concerns of dialysis patients living in more remote areas and understood that NHS Highland was in dialogue with the patients involved to seek to address some of their anxieties. He confirmed that NHS Highland had previously looked at the issue of providing a low level dialysis unit in Argyll & Bute some time ago, and said that the board will revisit the issue in 2015/16.
Commenting after Health Questions, Jamie, who has previously taken up the issue in writing with NHS Highland and with Health Secretary Alex Neil, said:
“I have a great deal of sympathy with my Argyll & Bute constituents who have to make these extremely long journeys up to three times a week for dialysis, which can be exhausting and stressful.
“I would encourage patients to continue to make representations to NHS Highland on this important matter, and I will continue to work with my colleague Councillor Donald Kelly to speak up in support wherever possible. I hope that NHS Highland can look again at providing a satellite dialysis unit within Argyll as quickly as possible”.