Health Minister Simon Burns visited Guy’s Hospital on 4th November 2010 where he met staff and patients in the kidney services.
He was particularly interested in seeing the Frederick Home Dialysis Unit where patients are taught how to do their own haemodialysis at home. Dr Cormac Breen explained: “The benefit of dialysing at home is the flexibility it offers. Some patients work full-time and have hobbies like kite surfing or skiing; by dialysing at a time that suits them, such as in the evening or overnight, they can have a relatively normal way of life.”
Two patients who dialyse at home, Andrew Samuel and Peter Hill, told Simon about how they fit dialysis around their other activities. “There must be hundreds of patients, especially youngsters, that could transform their way of life by having a machine at home,” said Peter, “and the training and support we receive makes it so easy.” Andrew, who has been dialysing at home for 16 years said: “I’m able to keep a full-time job, and do all the sport I like such as playing golf. I can lead a normal life with my wife and daughter and not have to keep making trips to a hospital to keep healthy.”
Simon Burns said: “It was a pleasure to meet the dedicated staff at Guy’s Hospital who showed me their dialysis and self-care dialysis units which offer a vital service to patients across London and the south east.
“Facilities like this are helping patients like Andrew and Peter to manage their condition and be more independent. This isn’t just more convenient – it can significantly improve quality of life and is cost effective. High quality services such as these will improve outcomes for patients and enable them to lead healthier lives.”