Health Minister announces location for north Wales kidney dialysis unit
Source: The Welsh GovernmentPublished Friday, 26 June 2009 - 10:10
Health Minister Edwina Hart announced today (Friday, 26 June) that Ysbyty Alltwen has been chosen as the location for a new renal dialysis unit in north Wales. The satellite centre will help to improve the provision of renal services across Wales, reducing the amount of time kidney patients spend travelling to and from treatment.
The Welsh Renal National Service Framework, which sets standards for the care of people with renal disease, requires that patients should be able to access dialysis within a 30 minute drive time from their home.
To achieve this, the Welsh Assembly Government increased investment to expand dialysis capacity with an extra £2.5m in 2008-09, increasing to £6.8m for 2009-10.
Health Minister, Edwina Hart, said:
“It is vital that we improve access to kidney dialysis across Wales. I announced in November last year that South Gwynedd would be one of the areas to be a priority to expand renal dialysis provision.
"In addition, as well as funding the Kidney Wales Foundation-led Donate Wales: Tell a Loved One campaign to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation, we are currently consulting on options for changing the organ donation system in Wales.
“With more donor organs available, we hope, over time, more kidney dialysis patients will be able to receive a new kidney and therefore not need dialysis.”
The North Wales Renal Network, which is made up of health professionals and patient groups, selected Ysbyty Alltwen as the preferred location for the new dialysis unit following consultation with Community Health Councils and representatives of the local hospitals and communities.
Mrs Hart will visit Ysbyty Alltwen on 2 July to officially open the community hospital which has received over £19 million of Welsh Assembly Government funding.
