AYR’S University Hospital hopes to be part of the pilot for a new initiative to improve the way renal patients receive their treatment.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran has been chosen as the only pilot area in Scotland for the treatment with University Hospital Crosshouse getting the ball rolling where it is first running.

Some renal patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) need treatment in the form of haemodialysis (HD). Having end stage kidney disease means patients’ bodies are unable to ‘clean’ their blood of toxins.

Patients receive haemodialysis through a machine which performs this function for them. This means renal patients must attend hospital sometimes up to three times a week for four to five hours at a time for their treatment.

SHAREHD Care is a Health Foundation-funded programme that aims to support patients receiving haemodialysis treatment in hospital to be more independent and confident in participating in aspects of their own haemodialysis care. Shared Haemodialysis Care lets staff and patients work together to allow the patient to be more active in their own treatment.

Dr Vishal Dey, Consultant Physician and Nephrologist at University Hospital Crosshouse, said: “We are delighted to be chosen as a pilot area for this innovative programme. Having kidney disease can have a major impact of a person’s life both in terms of the impact on health but also on a person’s daily life.”