Kidney patients in Oban travel five hours for treatment

Campaigners claim some kidney patients in Argyle are missing out on dialysis treatment because of long journeys to hospital.

The Oban Kidney Dialysis Association is calling for a unit to be set up in the town to serve local patients and those living on Mare Island.

Dave Allsop of the charity said patients travelled more than five hours round trip to Campbelltown or Alexandria three times a week, adding to the journey time for islanders who have to take a ferry to the mainland.

Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership said it was committed to providing a quality service and patients were sent to the nearest available unit.

Dialysis is a type of treatment that removes excess fluid and waste products from the blood when the kidneys cannot do so naturally.

Your blood is removed from your body, purified, and then returned to your body, a process that takes approximately four hours.

“Dialysis is a very debilitating procedure,” Alsop said.

“Traveling makes you very tired. It's something you really don't want to do.”

“Recently, I have received emails from two patients who should or are close to undergoing dialysis but are refusing to undergo dialysis due to travel time issues,” he added.

Mr Alsop said there could be up to 14 patients needing dialysis in the Oban and Mull area within the next 18 months.

He added: “We would like to establish a unit in the Oban area.”

Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership said it is nearing the final stages of carrying out a needs assessment for hospital dialysis services for all residents in Argyll and Bute.

A spokesman said: “Residents in the Oban, Lorne and Islands area will be admitted to the nearest dialysis facility with capacity, such as Belford Hospital in Fort William, dialysis facilities run by Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCP).”

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to patients who need to travel to specialist hospitals for dialysis treatment.

“HSCP recognises the difficulties people may have in travelling to access medical care and has arrangements in place to support this group of patients.”