Third World criticism of renal units

Kidney patients in Wales are being cared for in “Third World” conditions, a charity is claiming.

The Kidney Wales Foundation said that renal units in the country are at “breaking point” and is launching a campaign to improve the standard of care.

The People Like Us campaign is being spearheaded by Allison Jon, who has had heart, lungs, liver and kidney transplants.

She said: “The number of people with acute renal failure needing treatment is increasing in Wales, and soon regional units will be operating beyond capacity.

“Subjecting sick patients to treatment in poor facilities and making them wait hours to get home is simply not acceptable in the 21st century.

“We need more dialysis units across Wales and better transport arrangements as a matter of urgency to prevent sick and vulnerable people from having to make long journeys several times a week.”

The campaign is calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to increase the number of dialysis units, improve transport links, create a single organisation to co-ordinate kidney services and to create a dedicated transplant unit.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesman said Health Minister Edwina Hart has met the foundation and is considering the provision of dialysis treatment in Wales.

Kidney patients are presenting Ms Hart with a 60-page document outlining the crisis in renal care at the Senedd, Cardiff Bay, at 3.30pm today.

This article was posted on September 21, 2007 at 5:40 am.
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5 Comments

  1. Arthur said: Sep 21st, 2007 at 10:48 am

    You get what you vote for!

  2. Matty said: Sep 21st, 2007 at 12:13 pm

    Arthur, I think its more that people are ungrateful for the service provided. I don’t believe that whichever government is elected influences things that strongly at this level.

    If things are really that bad, then go private!

    I also find it shocking that someone can compare our hospitals to ‘third world’ conditions, we need to keep some realism and perspective. I would hope whoever made that wild statement has visited the areas of the world that they are comparing to so their comment is at least qualified from first hand experience!!!

  3. maryc said: Sep 21st, 2007 at 4:02 pm

    Matty.
    Not all of us can afford to “go private” plus we have paid into the health service all our working lives and I think that we deserve to get something back.
    As for 3rd world conditions..it’s getting worse day by day.Stop living in that” p.c.cloud cuckoo land ” open your eyes, take off the blinkers and have a good look round.

  4. Phil said: Sep 21st, 2007 at 7:43 pm

    Our national health service is being run into the ground to FORCE us to go private. The government (and not just this one) are doing and have done the same thing for years with institutions such as the Railways and Royal Mail.

    It’s the usual scam - create a huge problem then ’solve’ it by giving us an ‘option’… which usually creates a lot of cash for the ruling elite at the expense of a once excellent service.

    As the Mafia might say, “We’re making an offer you can’t refuse.”

  5. Matty said: Sep 22nd, 2007 at 10:40 am

    I can see we all have different opinion on this, and im sure standards are not as good as we would like. Im sure however that our hostpitals and conditions are ten times better than the “third world” conditions described!.

    I think most of the problem here is not that standards are going down, but more that expectations are increasing as technology and methods progress.