Renal unit modernised with new dialysis stations

A special event was recently held in the Renal Unit in Western Isles Hospital to mark two generous donations which will benefit patients in the Western Isles and beyond.

The Western Isles Kidney Patient Association (WIKPA) recently funded a complete dialysis station for the Renal Unit in Stornoway; the second station it has funded in recent years.

The Western Isles Kidney Machine Trust also recently funded its third dialysis station for the unit, following donations in 2008 and 2011.

These two much appreciated donations mean that the Renal Unit now has seven stations in use, with two spares. NHS Western Isles recently spent more than £100,000 on the replacement of all seven of its machines. 

Representatives from the WIKPA, the Western Isles Kidney Machine Trust, together with NHS Western Isles staff and local patients, attended the event on July 31.

Thirteen patients now regularly receive dialysis at the Unit, in morning and afternoon sessions. There is also now the option for holiday dialysis, so that patients visiting the island can also make use of the facility. 

WIKPA Chairman, Angus Macleod, commented: “It is due entirely to the generosity of the people, the companies of the Western Isles and the enthusiasm of the members of the Western Isles Kidney Association (WIKPA) that we are able to donate this second dialysis station to the renal unit.”

Trustee of the Western Isles Kidney Machine Trust, Ian Maciver, stated: “The Western Isles Kidney Machine Trust Trustees are pleased to have had the opportunity to provide additional funds towards the cost of the new kidney dialysis machines, which have been purchased by the Western Isles Health Board. The Trust has been involved with the Health Board for some years, having made contributions to the dialysis unit in Western Isles Hospital previously. It is understood that this will be a big improvement on the older machines and that Western Isles patients with kidney problems will benefit considerably as a result.”

NHS Western Isles Chief Executive Gordon Jamieson thanked the Western Isles Kidney Patient Association and Western Isles Kidney Machine Trust for their continued support and the latest very generous donations. 

He stated: “Since it opened in March 2007, the Renal Unit has made a dramatic improvement to the service that NHS Western Isles provides to local patients requiring renal dialysis, bringing an end to the previous arrangement where local patients had to travel to the mainland for treatment.”

NHS Western Isles Chair, Ian Burgess, added: “Over the past 12 years, the Renal Unit has continued to develop to provide service improvements and enhancements; and we are now able to offer dialysis to a higher number of patients as well as holiday dialysis for people who want to visit the islands, but were unable to previously. These very kind donations are very much appreciated by the Board and we would like to sincerely thank the charities for their continued support and generosity.”

NHS Western Isles Director of Finance, Debbie Bozkurt, highlighted that NHS Western Isles had invested in the region of £100,000 in the renal unit this financial year, and there were plans for future investment.

“This considerable recent investment means that our patients now have access to more efficient state of the art machines,” she said. “We also hope to invest further in the unit in the near future, to provide new software to enable us to better link with consultant staff in NHS Highland, so that specialist staff have quicker access to local data.”