Patients get their lives back as new dialysis unit opens in Bridgend

The opening of a state-of-the-art dialysis unit in Bridgend has not only given patients their lives back but is kinder to the environment too.

Until now, town residents have had to travel either to Morriston or Llantristant for dialysis. That meant spending a lot of time on the road.

At the same time, the dialysis units in Morriston Hospital were running way over capacity, which led to a significant number of people having to dialyse at night.

(Main photo above shows: Dr Tim Scale, Consultant Nephrologist and Clinical Lead, Bethan Davies, Service Manager, Abi Harris, Swansea Bay Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Siddell, Directorate Manager, Dr Clare Parker Consultant Nephrologist and Clinical Director, Deb Lewis, Chief Operating Officer)

Now Bridgend has its own unit developed in a former gym at the Triangle shopping centre in Brackla. It forms part of a £70 million, 10-year investment across South Wales funded entirely by the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee via the Welsh Kidney Network.

Bridgend patients are now saving an average of 86 miles a week, every week. One has reduced their travelling by 170 miles a week.

It has also led to a drop in demand for ambulance transport, with patients confident to drive themselves to a unit close to home, which has its own car park. Patients’ friends and family are in a better position to drop off locally and there is even talk among some of lift-sharing.

Renal services are provided by Swansea Bay University Health Board for people in its own area as well as those in the Hywel Dda and, for Bridgend, Cwm Taf Morgannwg university health boards areas.

The Bridgend unit has 21 dialysis stations with a maximum capacity of 84 patients throughout the week to allow for future increased demand.

Like other dialysis units across South West Wales, it is commissioned to be run on behalf of Swansea Bay by Fresenius Medical Care.

The patients remain under the care of the NHS and managed clinically by doctors, pharmacists and dieticians who are NHS employees.

A celebratory opening event was held, with guests including Swansea Bay Chief Executive Abi Harris, Dr Altaf Hussein MS, Sarah Murphy MS, Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, patients and their families.

They were joined by friends from the third sector, Morgannwg Endeavour Charitable Trust and Popham Kidney Support.

Morgannwg Endeavour Charitable Trust was set up with the specific goal of raising awareness of kidney disease in the area and promoting the need for dialysis facilities closer to home for the Bridgend population.

Trustees were present to see their goals come to fruition and have been thanked for their ongoing moral support and campaigning throughout.

Swansea Bay Chief Operating Officer Deb Lewis told guests the journey to open the new unit was a long one, stretching back many years.

She thanked the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee and Welsh Kidney Network for funding the £70 million improvement programme.

“Demand for dialysis is increasing annually, with five per cent growth anticipated each year,” she said. “Additional dialysis provision has been desperately needed for some time.

“Before this unit opened, the nearest provision was at Morriston Hospital, which was operating at 140 per cent capacity.

“This led to patients needing to dialyse late into the night due to insufficient space during the day. And those living in Bridgend area were required to make excessively long journeys for dialysis.”

Mrs Lewis said the Bridgend unit represented a commitment by Swansea Bay to continuously improve the health of all those it served.

She thanked health board staff who had been involved in the project and acknowledged the close working relationship with Fresenius.

Mrs Lewis also paid tribute to renal consultant and the service’s Clinical Director, Dr Clare Parker, saying: “She has been the cornerstone of renal improvement in Swansea Bay. Her clinical expertise, leadership and vision have been instrumental.”

Dr Parker, who cut the ribbon to open the unit, said patients had told her it was like getting their lives back.

“They are dialysing closer to home and able to resume their everyday activities afterwards,” she said.

“People have said they are able to do the school run with their children or grandchildren or go to the cricket at the weekend because they no longer face such an arduous journey.

“It’s a great location with excellent parking and it has already been very well received by our patients.”

Meanwhile, Swansea Bay’s renal team and Fresenius continue to work together on plans for another new unit, for Neath Port Talbot patients.

It will feature 27 stations with a maximum capacity of 108 patients as well as a training area for nurses who teach people to dialyse at home.

A former factory, Stationary House in Port Talbot, has been identified for redevelopment. Planning permission has been applied for and, if approved, the health board hopes the unit will open later this year.