Care Opinion

Availability of overnight dialysis

Posted By caramx24

"Availability of overnight dialysis"

About: Renal Service / Renal Unit Renal Unit / Renal Unit Nocturnal Dialysis

(as a service user),

Whilst chatting to other patients in the dialysis unit in daisy hill hospital in Newry, we discussed the benefit of overnight dialysis.

There was a pilot scheme in the unit approx 2 years ago but there was seemingly no funding to continue this service.

The benefits of having longer dialysis, was evidenced in this project and included better blood results for patients, the need for phosphate binders was significantly reduced (a high cost saving factor).

Patients also felt much better as a result of this, allowing them to continue life outside of dialysis in a more normal way, thus having a positive impact on patients mental health.

Whilst acknowledging current financial restrictions, I believe it would ultimately be cost-effective to reintroduce this service for patients.

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Responses

Response from Teresa McKinley, Renal Research Nurse , Medicine and Unscheduled Care Directorate, Southern Health and Social Care Trust last week
Teresa McKinley
Renal Research Nurse , Medicine and Unscheduled Care Directorate,
Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Submitted on 07/10/2024 at 11:06
Published on Care Opinion at 11:07

Good Morning,

My name is Teresa and I am the Renal Research Nurse here in Daisy Hill and I was actively involved in the 6 month trial of Nocturnal Dialysis. You are absolutely correct when you high light the patient experience benefits, many of our patients who participated in the trial experienced a positive impact in both their mental and physical health. They had a reduction in their medication treating both phosphate and hypertension, for some the increased dialysis assisted in the healing of long term wounds which had previously meant they could not be listed for transplant. As a result we had two participants successfully transplanted following the six month period.

Following the completion of the trial there was a business case prepared and presented to the commissioner for SHSCT and the Chief Executive and we were advised that this would be forwarded to Stormont for consideration. Unfortunately to date no funding has been allocated to provide this much needed service.

We will continue to advocate for this to become a treatment option for our patients who require long term dialysis.

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