Latest opening of new units at Ennis delays concerns raised about dialysis at UHL

The delay in Ennis' new dialysis unit shows that nighttime dialysis will return to university hospital Limerick (UHL).

Patients undergoing hemodialysis are in the final stages of kidney disease experiencing renal failure, and often require attending the dialysis unit three times a week.

Night dialysis practice ceased around 2015 when a new renal dialysis unit was opened uhl And now, the service is capable as there are satellite units on Limerick's Dock Road as well.

The bid for the Ennis site has been completed and the HSE Midwest states that the supplier has been selected, but no timeline has been given for completion of this project.

They said funds have been identified and steps are currently underway to bring the site into the stream as soon as possible.

A spokesman for the HSE Midwest said: “As the number of patients requiring this treatment has increased, we have reached maximum capacity in our dialysis unit in UHL. We will continue to support patients suitable for home dialysis therapy and will be able to offer second in Ennis, Clare County. It is also proposed to establish a satellite hemodialysis centre.

“Given current capacity constraints, we are considering extending our after-hours services to ensure that patients who need dialysis continue to access the community. We are currently staffing about this proposal. ．A determinant of providing services during this extended out-of-hours is that patients are healthy and preferably close to the hospital.”

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A spokesman for the Irish nurse and midwife organization said it was “inappropriate” for patients to undergo dialysis at night.

“While there is no date for the new unit, nurses are concerned that this service will be offered again overnight, affecting patient safety and welfare.

“When you receive dialysis at night, patients need to stay awake for most of the night. This has a major impact on young patients trying to hold back work and family caregivers.”

A source near the hospital that you don't want to name is Limerick Leader There is no “appropriate nursing management and medical coverage in the evening or proposed night.”

They added: “Many of the patients who get dialysis in these slots at night are elderly and frail. They have to leave the house around 10pm and have four hours of dialysis and for the unit's catchment area. After travel time, you won't be able to return until around 6am.

“Night dialysis is not, in our view, a safe solution to this problem, and given the previous trends, we fear it will become a permanent measure. Patient safety and happiness are a major factor in this. You will suffer.”

According to the latest HSE figures, 129 people were on dialysis within the UHL catchment. A spokesman for the Irish Kidney Association said: This underscores the urgent need for a national model of care for patients with end-stage renal disease that requires dialysis, which all treatment facilities must adhere to. ”

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They added that nighttime dialysis plans should be temporary.

“It should be treated as an exception rather than a standard, and it should only be provided on a patient's choice basis. The reality is that daytime dialysis is more humane, rather than using night nurses; It is inexpensive because it can treat patients and can be advantageous for both parties. Hospital.

“In this case, we believe that a much better option for both overloaded healthcare professionals working in the area is to open up a new dialysis unit that relieves pressure on existing units. In fact, a bid was issued on September 12, 2023 for a new dialysis unit to be placed in Ennis.

They added that dialysis is extremely strict and can affect the ability of people to go to work, provide childcare, go on holidays, or engage in other daily activities.