View Full Version : kidney dialysis madness
Just read in this morning paper about a gran from Orkney who has to fly to Aberdeen every week for dialisis. This takes up five days of her week. I know she'd still be away from home, but surely coming to Wick would mean a shorter flight, which would give her more time with her family and more chance of them being able to visit.
And wouldn't it be cheaper in the long run for a nurse with the neccessary training to be employed in Orkney?
Angel-Eyes
21-Jun-05, 11:13
That is awful aint it. Wot a shame on her and her family. Poor lady. It would be alot better if there was one in wick. Does she have to pay for the flights herself?? Surely Not??
I dont think she will have to pay for her own flights. The reason she will be going to Aberdeen will likely be because Orkney is part of the Aberdeenshire trust rather than the Highland trust.
It is a shame for the poor lady.
Anyone needing treatment that they cannot get in Orkney has to go to Aberdeen. It is paid for by NHS Orkney. Anyone having a baby that they expect a problem with or that has to be induced have to go to Aberdeen to have it, usually 2 weeks before due date. Saying that, they do have an award winning midwife run unit which is great for straightforward deliveries. I often wonder why nobody thought that it would be a benefit to Orkney and Caithness when they were offered the scanner by british Trust Hotels as patients could have made use of it from a very large area. Same goes for the dialysis unit, at least you would get home most days to Orkney.
That is awful aint it. Wot a shame on her and her family. Poor lady. It would be alot better if there was one in wick. Does she have to pay for the flights herself?? Surely Not??
There is a dialysis unit in Wick. Geographically Orkney should belong to the Highlands not Aberdeenshire! [disgust]
Angel-Eyes
21-Jun-05, 18:41
I didnt realise that there was one in wick!! Thats awful. Ur right katarine it should belong to the highlands and not aberdeenshire. Wots the sense in that? Why is it that way??
[disgust]
I think the renal unit for doing dialysis might be full up here. Why cant she do it at home with the bags?
Don't know to both the above questions. I think maybe she's past the 'bags' stage.
Anyone know why Orkney is in the Aberdeenshire area not the highland?
Whitewater
21-Jun-05, 23:31
slydog,
I think it is very difficult to do at home, you have to have a special sterile room to carry it out and I don't think everybody is in that position.
I think the unit in Wick is at saturation point as some of the people are now having to go to Inverness.
Why don't the Orkney people do what was done in Caithness and raise the money themselves to buy a unit. Once the appeal starts there are many organisations which will help, some of the main benefactors in Caithness were the Country and Western Club and the Masons. and from what I know of the Orkney people I'm sure they would rise to the occasion.
I agree that it is sad for the Orkney lady having to travel to aberdeen. Apparently she can not have home dyalisis anymore and needs the hospital dyalisis. It would be a lot quicker if she coulkd come to the wick Renal Unit, but it is full up. the wick unit is opening full time next month and will be full up.
Spare a thought for our own patients who are travelling to Raigmore 3 days a week for their treatment. there are 4 patients doing this. it is not too bad in the summer, and thankfully they will not have that journey in the winter.
The Orkney lady's travelling is not too bad considering she is only half an hour in the plane. Our patients are nearly six hours in a car.
What about the five patients who had to travel to Raigmore for FOUR years before the Renal unit opened in wick. they left at 6.15 AM and got home just after 5pm accorsing to the weather. they had to travel through closed roads in the winter, on icy roads and in snowdrifts. It is thanks to the original four patients who fought for a local unit who got the help of John thurso and Robert Maclennan, that we have a renal unit here. It also means that dyalisis patients from elsewhere can come to Caithness on holiday now as they can get their treatment in wick.
There are 3 original nurses in the unit and two more are finishing their training at Raigmore, though they have been working in the wick unit too. they are all brilliant.
The Caithness people have been very generous with their donations and the renal committee have fundraised to make the renal unit comfortable for the patients with each having their own TV, magazines, cd player etc.
It is hoped that no more Caithness/Sutherland patients will have the ordeal of travelling to Raigmore in the dreadful winter weather conditions that the previous patients had to endure. :D
I didn't realise we still had patients travelling to Raigmore. It's bad enough being ill, without having all the extra inconvenience as well!
As well as dyalisis patients, many patients have to travel to Raigmore every day, some for scans, some to see specialists, cancer patients, stroke patients, the list is endless. If we had the scanner in wick, as offered, most of these patients would not have to go to Raigmore. :(
As well as dyalisis patients, many patients have to travel to Raigmore every day, some for scans, some to see specialists, cancer patients, stroke patients, the list is endless. If we had the scanner in wick, as offered, most of these patients would not have to go to Raigmore. :(
I meant for dialysis, I know about the other things. It's ridiculous. It's as if nothing north of inverness matters! And in more ways than health care.
And that's not all I know of at least two people who had to go to Inverness, one to see a specialist and one for an op. In both cases the appointments had been cancelled and the patients were never told until they got there! I wonder how many other people have had similar experiences.
Isn't it ridiculous that all these routine matters mean a 120+ miles each way trip? We can only hope that under continuing pressure from local groups that the Health Boards/Scottish Executive will start to realise that people need services where they live, not where it happens to be convenient to build a big hospital! The scanner fiasco does not give much hope though...... :~(
All we can do is continue to support these groups in their fight. Oh, and complain! I don't mean get on somewhere like here and whinge, I mean lobby any policticians that come our way, write to the hospital when there is a problem and demand a response, be persistant in your requests - maybe the message will start to get through.
Back in fantasy world though, I just long for some giant to come along and dunt all their heids together until they see sense! [lol]
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