Research backs Campaign claims of growth of need and for planning requirement in Wales

Equity of access to dialysis facilities in Wales -- White et al. 99 (7): 445 -- QJM Click reserach

It is clear that the numbers of patients needing dialysis, and in particular in-centre haemodialysis, will continue to rise. In Wales, dialysis capacity is overwhelmed, more than 20% of the population still lives more than 30 min drive away from a dialysis unit, and there are areas of relative under-provision. There is, therefore, a need to plan the building of additional, appropriately resourced, facilities.


In the rest of the UK, subsidiary units are sited in more ‘off hospital’ locations. Without exception, the major area of complaint for patients undergoing HD is transport and journey times: a journey to and from an HD unit in Wales can take longer than the treatment itself. The large and sparsely populated areas outside of the major towns have small roads that also traverse difficult terrain, making travel time even longer and less predictable. The location of future units should, therefore, take these and other factors into account.

Equity of access to dialysis facilities in Wales P. White1, V. James1, D. Ansell2, V. Lodhi3 and K.L. Donovan3,
From the 1Cartographics Department, Statistical Directorate, Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff, 2UK Renal Registry, Southmead Hospital, Bristol and 3University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK