Date : Friday, 26 June 2009

 

HEALTH MINISTER ANNOUNCES LOCATION FOR NORTH WALES
KIDNEY DIALYSIS UNIT

Welsh Assembly Webpage (Click Here)

- Satellite centre will help to improve provision of renal services across Wales -

 

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.

 

For further information please contact Paula Hughes on 029 2089 8100.

 

Notes

1. Patients in Wales currently have their dialysis in one of the five main renal units in Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Rhyl and Bangor or one of the seven smaller satellite units at Newport, Merthyr, Llantrisant, the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Carmarthen and Aberystwyth. A temporary unit has been developed at Withybush Hospital ahead of a permanent facility in Pembrokeshire. Also patients have dialysis at home where it is clinically appropriate. Other areas identified as priorities for additional dialysis facilities are North and South Powys, North Gwent, and East of Swansea.  In addition existing units in Merthyr, Bangor and Aberystwyth have been identified for upgrade or replacement.

2. The Welsh Assembly Government consultation on Options for Changes to the Organ Donation System in Wales can be found at:
http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/healthsocialcare/organdonation/?lang=en

3.  The Save Sian Campaign was launched in March as part of the Kidney Wales Foundation’s Donate Wales – Tell a Loved One organ donation drive. It has been funded by a £70,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly Government as well as additional funding from Kidney Wales. The campaign will continue to run throughout the summer. To join the Organ Donor Register visit www.donatewales.org/savesian or contact the Organ Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23.

4. NHS Blood and Transplant launched the ‘Wall of life’ on Tuesday, 23 June. It is an interactive campaign to boost the number of people joining the NHS Organ Donor Register. The ‘Wall of Life’ is an online mosaic, created from people’s photos posted on a website to show their support for organ donation. More information on the ‘Wall of Life’ campaign can be found at: www.walloflife.org.uk

 

4 Rhagfyr 2009

 

 

Uned Dialysis Dros Dro yn agor yn Ysbyty Alltwen

 

 

Bydd uned dialysis dros dro yn agor yn Ysbyty Alltwen ym mis Ionawr fel y cam cyntaf i ddarparu uned arennol ymylol i wasanaethu De Gwynedd.

 

Ysbyty Alltwen fydd cartref yr uned dros dro  tra bydd yr uned barhaol yn cael ei hadeiladu ar y safle.  Fe fydd yr uned dros dro yn agored i gleifion o Ionawr 2010.

 

Mae’r uned wrthi'n cael ei chynllunio ar hyn o bryd a bydd contractwr yn cael ei benodi'n fuan fel bod y gwaith adeiladu yn gallu cychwyn. Disgwylir i’r uned fod yn barod yn hydref 2011.

 

Fe fydd saith safle dialysis yn yr uned dros dro o fewn prif adeilad Ysbyty Alltwen.  Dewiswyd 11 o gleifion lleol fel rhai addas ar gyfer derbyn dialysis tair gwaith yr wythnos yn yr uned, ar ôl cael eu hasesu gan staff meddygol.  

 

 Dim ond cleifion sy’n weddol iach a heb gymhlethdodau fydd yn cael eu derbyn i’r uned dros dro. Bydd yn rhaid i gleifion eraill ddal i fynd i’r brif uned yn Ysbyty Gwynedd nes bydd yr uned barhaol yn Ysbyty Alltwen wedi’i gorffen.

 

Dywedodd Nick Wilson, Rheolwr Rhwydwaith Arennol Gogledd Cymru: “Mae hwn yn gam pwysig at ddarparu uned ddialysis arennol lleol i gleifion De Gwynedd ac yn ganolfan ar gyfer gofalu am gleifion allanol cyn-dialysis a chleifion sydd wedi cael trawsblaniad.  Bydd yn golygu llawer llai o deithio i gleifion”.

 

Dywedodd Steve Armstrong, claf a gafodd trawsblaniad a chynrychiolydd Cymdeithas Cleifion Arennau Cymru: “Mae’r Gymdeithas yn falch iawn fod y prosiect yn symud ymlaen a bod gennym ateb dros dro fel y gall rhai cleifion elwa ar unwaith tra bo’r trefniadau i adeiladu’r uned barhaol yn  cael eu cwblhau.”

 

Mae’r Fframwaith Gwasanaeth Cenedlaethol Cymru ar gyfer Gwasanaethau Arennol, sy’n gosod safonau ar gyfer gofal pobl â chlefyd yr arennau, yn nodi bod angen i gleifion allu cael dialysis o fewn taith 30 munud o’u cartrefi.

 

Cyhoeddodd Edwina Hart, Gweinidog dros Iechyd fod Ysbyty Alltwen wedi ei dewis yn dilyn proses ymgynghori gyda chleifion, gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol a Chynghorau Iechyd Cymuned  Gogledd Gwynedd a Meirionnydd ac mae’n ffurfio rhan bwysig o'r cynllun i wella gwasanaethau arennol ar draws Cymru.

 

Dywedodd Edwina Hart, y Gweinidog dros Iechyd:  

 

Mae hwn yn gam mawr ymlaen yn ein cynlluniau i wella gwasanaethau arennol ar draws Cymru. Mae’n hanfodol bod cleifion arennol yn cael triniaeth dialysis yn agos at eu cartref.

 

“Hefyd mae’n bwysig ein bod yn parhau i annog mwy o bobl i fynd ar y gofrestr rhoi organau.  Rydym yn gwybod bod mwy wedi gwneud ar ôl yr ymgyrch Rhodd Cymru: Dywed wrth Rywun Agos, dan arweiniad Aren Cymru ac arian Llywodraeth y Cynulliad. Fodd bynnag, mae angen gwneud mwy.

 

“Hefyd, ar hyn o bryd rwyf yn ystyried y sylwadau a gasglwyd mewn ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus ar y dewisiadau ynglŷn â newid y system rhoi organau yng Nghymru. Gyda mwy o organau ar gael, y gobaith yw y bydd mwy o gleifion dialysis arennol yn gallu cael aren newydd ac felly na fydd angen dialysis arnyn nhw.”

 

DIWEDD

 

Am ragor o wybodaeth cysylltwch â:

Trystan Pritchard              01248 384938

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temporary Dialysis Unit to be Opened at Ysbyty Alltwen

 

 

A temporary dialysis unit will be opened at Ysbyty Alltwen in January as the first step in providing a permanent satellite renal unit to serve South Gwynedd .

 

The temporary unit will be housed within Ysbyty Alltwen as an interim solution while a permanent unit is built on the site and will be open to patients from January 2010.

 

The permanent unit is currently in the planning stages and a contractor is expected to be appointed soon so that construction work can begin. The unit is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2011.

 

The temporary unit will house seven dialysis stations and will be located within the main Ysbyty Alltwen building. Eleven local patients have been identified as suitable for receiving dialysis three times a week at the unit, having been assessed by medical staff.

 

The temporary unit will only receive patients who are relatively well and are without complications. Other patients will need to continue to attend the main unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd until the permanent Ysbyty Alltwen unit is completed.

 

Nick Wilson, North Wales Renal Network Manager said: “This is an important step forward in providing a local renal dialysis unit for patients in South Gwynedd and an out patient base for care of other pre-dialysis and post transplant patients. It will significantly reduce travelling times for patients”.

 

Steve Armstrong, transplant patient and Welsh Kidney Patient Association representative) said: The Association is very pleased that the project is moving ahead and that an interim solution has been possible so that some patients can benefit immediately whilst arrangements to construct the permanent unit are finalised.”

 

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.

 

Ysbyty Alltwen was announced as the chosen location by Health Minister Edwina Hart following a consultation process involving patients, healthcare professionals and Gogledd Gwynedd and Meirionnydd Community Health Councils and forms an important part of the planned improvement of renal services across Wales .

 

Health Minister Edwina Hart said:

 

“This marks a major step forward in our plans to improve renal services across Wales . It is vital kidney patients have access to dialysis treatment close to home.

 

“It is important we also continue to encourage more people to sign up to the organ donor register. We know there has been an increase following the Donate Wales: Tell a Loved One campaign, which is led by Kidney Wales and funded by the Assembly Government. However, more needs to be done.

 

“In addition, I am currently considering the comments gathered in a public consultation on options to change 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.” 

 

ENDS

 

For further information please contact:

Trystan Pritchard              01248 384938