Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP, 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 in Argyll.
Jamie will raise, at Health Questions in the Scottish Parliament next week, the issue of the accessibility of dialysis services.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland previously set a target that NHS Boards should provide hospital dialysis within 30 minutes travelling time of all patients’ homes, allowing for the constraints of population, density, and geography. However, currently a number of kidney dialysis patients in the Campbeltown area have to travel three times a week to the Vale of Leven Hospital - a round trip, each time, of over 230 miles - for treatment.
Commenting today, Councillor Kelly said:
“It seems very unfair that kidney dialysis patients in the Campbeltown area are disadvantaged, especially when national targets recommend hospital dialysis should be provided within 30 minutes of people’s homes. This is clearly not happening for my constituents in Campbeltown and this policy should be applied all across the country.
“I call again on NHS Highland to rectify the situation as quickly as possible, and to consider opening a satellite dialysis unit in Campbeltown”.
Jamie McGrigor, who has already raised, with NHS Highland and the Cabinet Secretary for Health Alex Neil, the concerns of some of his constituents about the long distances which they face in travelling to a dialysis facility, said:
“Patients have explained to me the distress and inconvenience caused by lengthy and frequent journeys to hospitals for dialysis. I will be pressing the Health Minister to respond to these concerns at Health Questions in the Parliament next week”.