NHS Wales News - Health Minister opens new kidney dialysis unit in Cardiff
A new kidney dialysis unit, which will increase capacity and improve care for patients, will be officially opened by Health Minister Edwina Hart today [Thursday, 20 November] in Cardiff.
Previously, kidney dialysis patients had access to 16 dialysis stations at outdated facilities at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
Initially, the new unit opens with 18 dialysis machines, rising to 20 by December and will increase to 24 by March next year, with room to expand.
Roy J. Thomas, Chairman of the Kidney Wales Foundation and Donate Wales campaign, said: "We are fully committed along with the Welsh Assembly Government, to world class renal facilities such as the new dialysis unit in Cardiff across the whole of Wales. Transplant and dialysis treatments in Wales are improving under this government and we are working in partnership to ensure this continues and that more kidney patients and their families in Wales benefit."
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Generosity of Donors
Generosity of organ donors
Nov 21 2008 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo
AS someone who knows first hand how it feels to be given a second chance thanks to the generosity of a donor and to be on the waiting list for a third time needing a kidney transplant, I was disappointed to see the Donor Taskforce in England has rejected the introduction of presumed consent.
Here, the Welsh Assembly Government is taking the lead in addressing the shortage of organ donors and helping save lives by embarking upon a wide-ranging public consultation on presumed consent.
Soft presumed consent still means the family is very much part of the consultation at the time of their loved one’s death and their permission for donation sought – it does not mean organs are taken without permission.
If we have this system in Wales and the rest of UK then many, many more lives can be saved and transformed thanks to the gifts of donors.
Melanie Wager, St Athan
Nov 21 2008 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo
AS someone who knows first hand how it feels to be given a second chance thanks to the generosity of a donor and to be on the waiting list for a third time needing a kidney transplant, I was disappointed to see the Donor Taskforce in England has rejected the introduction of presumed consent.
Here, the Welsh Assembly Government is taking the lead in addressing the shortage of organ donors and helping save lives by embarking upon a wide-ranging public consultation on presumed consent.
Soft presumed consent still means the family is very much part of the consultation at the time of their loved one’s death and their permission for donation sought – it does not mean organs are taken without permission.
If we have this system in Wales and the rest of UK then many, many more lives can be saved and transformed thanks to the gifts of donors.
Melanie Wager, St Athan
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Allison wins the ultimate accolade (From Western Telegraph)
Allison wins the ultimate accolade (From Western Telegraph)
Allison John, aged 30, has suffered from health problems since birth and has cystic fibrosis. She has survived four major transplants; in her early teens she had an 11 hour liver transplant and a heart and lung transplant. Her most recent operation came in 2006, when she was diagnosed with kidney failure and was donated one of her father's kidneys.
During the course of her most recent treatment Allison became an ambassador for the Kidney Wales Foundation. Among other things she addressed the House of Lords on presumed consent and helped raise £10,000 as part of the charity's Walk for Life.
Allison John, aged 30, has suffered from health problems since birth and has cystic fibrosis. She has survived four major transplants; in her early teens she had an 11 hour liver transplant and a heart and lung transplant. Her most recent operation came in 2006, when she was diagnosed with kidney failure and was donated one of her father's kidneys.
During the course of her most recent treatment Allison became an ambassador for the Kidney Wales Foundation. Among other things she addressed the House of Lords on presumed consent and helped raise £10,000 as part of the charity's Walk for Life.
Cardiff University Gair Rhydd talks to Allison John
Gair Rhydd
I’m now 30 years old and I was born with Cystic Fibrosis. The main problem with Cystic Fibrosis is that it causes progressive damage to the lungs. However, about 10% get liver disease too, and unfortunately I was one of them. By the time I was 15 my liver was cirrhosed and I needed a liver transplant.
I’m now 30 years old and I was born with Cystic Fibrosis. The main problem with Cystic Fibrosis is that it causes progressive damage to the lungs. However, about 10% get liver disease too, and unfortunately I was one of them. By the time I was 15 my liver was cirrhosed and I needed a liver transplant.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Evening News 24 [text only news and sport]
Evening News 24 [text only news and sport]
A man whose life was saved by a kidney transplant has backed calls urging the government to change the law on organ donation even though a panel of experts has rejected the idea of "presumed consent".
Earlier in the year the government backed a movement towards presumed consent - which would see everyone put on the organ donors register unless they choose to opt out - but a new report rules out the scheme.
The UK Organ Donation Taskforce said assuming organs could be used unless people opted out was unlikely to boost donation rates.
A man whose life was saved by a kidney transplant has backed calls urging the government to change the law on organ donation even though a panel of experts has rejected the idea of "presumed consent".
Earlier in the year the government backed a movement towards presumed consent - which would see everyone put on the organ donors register unless they choose to opt out - but a new report rules out the scheme.
The UK Organ Donation Taskforce said assuming organs could be used unless people opted out was unlikely to boost donation rates.
BBC NEWS | Health | Presumed consent 'not ruled out'
BBC NEWS | Health | Presumed consent 'not ruled out'
Gordon Brown is not ruling out a change in the law on organ donation even though a panel of experts has rejected the idea of "presumed consent".
The UK has one of the lowest organ donation rates in Europe.
There are currently around 8,000 people in the UK who need an organ transplant but only 3,000 operations are carried out each year.
Every year, 1,000 people in the UK die after waiting for a transplant.
Currently, people must sign up to the organ donor register - or their families must agree - before their organs can be used.
Gordon Brown is not ruling out a change in the law on organ donation even though a panel of experts has rejected the idea of "presumed consent".
The UK has one of the lowest organ donation rates in Europe.
There are currently around 8,000 people in the UK who need an organ transplant but only 3,000 operations are carried out each year.
Every year, 1,000 people in the UK die after waiting for a transplant.
Currently, people must sign up to the organ donor register - or their families must agree - before their organs can be used.
BBC NEWS | Health | No Surprise English Donor 'opt-out' proposal rejected
BBC NEWS | Health | Donor 'opt-out' proposal rejected
It is not a surprise that the English/UK Taskforce has ignored 1,000 patients who die waiting for a transplant every year in the UK.The lack of imagination and failures in the English NHS should not be read as the same in Wales or Scotland who are prepared save lives and not give excuses as to why this change cannot be implemented.The Taskforce was packed with those against. Anyone who was for was ignored or not invited.
Any change to the system would involve amending the Human Tissue Act of 2004.
Research by the Intensive Care Society suggests many specialists are worried that such a move would damage the trust between patients and doctors. This is an "image" issue.
A report recommending a radical overhaul of the UK organ donor network in a bid to double the number of organs available for transplant, has already been published by the Organ Donor Taskforce, and is being implemented in Wales.
The latest recommendations on presumed consent are not binding and the government in Westminster,Wales Scotland and NI who could decide to press ahead with changes to the legislation.
It is not a surprise that the English/UK Taskforce has ignored 1,000 patients who die waiting for a transplant every year in the UK.The lack of imagination and failures in the English NHS should not be read as the same in Wales or Scotland who are prepared save lives and not give excuses as to why this change cannot be implemented.The Taskforce was packed with those against. Anyone who was for was ignored or not invited.
Any change to the system would involve amending the Human Tissue Act of 2004.
Research by the Intensive Care Society suggests many specialists are worried that such a move would damage the trust between patients and doctors. This is an "image" issue.
A report recommending a radical overhaul of the UK organ donor network in a bid to double the number of organs available for transplant, has already been published by the Organ Donor Taskforce, and is being implemented in Wales.
The latest recommendations on presumed consent are not binding and the government in Westminster,Wales Scotland and NI who could decide to press ahead with changes to the legislation.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Survivor Allison wins Cosmo award - WalesOnline
Survivor Allison wins Cosmo award - WalesOnline
Allison John from Cardiff South Wales who had four organ transplants has won Cosmopolitan’s award for the Ultimate Survivor.
Allison John, of Roath, Cardiff, collected the prize at The Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2008.
Allison is the first person in the UK to survive four organ transplants.
She is now training to be a doctor and devotes her spare time to charity. In addition to raising £100,000 to build a local transplant unit, Allison is working with the Kidney Wales Foundation to raise awareness for the organ donor register
Allison John from Cardiff South Wales who had four organ transplants has won Cosmopolitan’s award for the Ultimate Survivor.
Allison John, of Roath, Cardiff, collected the prize at The Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2008.
Allison is the first person in the UK to survive four organ transplants.
She is now training to be a doctor and devotes her spare time to charity. In addition to raising £100,000 to build a local transplant unit, Allison is working with the Kidney Wales Foundation to raise awareness for the organ donor register
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Cardiff scientists study acute infection in end-stage kidney disease patients
Cardiff scientists study acute infection in end-stage kidney disease patients
Cardiff scientists study acute infection in end-stage kidney disease patients
Grant enables new research study to get underway at Cardiff University which could see a decrease in the rates of treatment failure among patients with end-stage kidney disease
A new research study underway at Cardiff University could see a decrease in the rates of treatment failure among patients with end-stage kidney disease.
Experts in the Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Interdisciplinary Research Group at the School of Medicine have secured more than £230,000 ($375,000) from the 'Renal Discoveries - The Baxter Extramural Grant' program, to investigate the potential to safeguard susceptible patients against serious problems caused by bacterial infections.
Cardiff scientists study acute infection in end-stage kidney disease patients
Grant enables new research study to get underway at Cardiff University which could see a decrease in the rates of treatment failure among patients with end-stage kidney disease
A new research study underway at Cardiff University could see a decrease in the rates of treatment failure among patients with end-stage kidney disease.
Experts in the Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Interdisciplinary Research Group at the School of Medicine have secured more than £230,000 ($375,000) from the 'Renal Discoveries - The Baxter Extramural Grant' program, to investigate the potential to safeguard susceptible patients against serious problems caused by bacterial infections.
Wales organ transplants row - WalesOnline
Wales organ transplants row - WalesOnline
WALES could still seek a change to the law on organ donation despite reports of a UK government task force rejecting the idea of presumed consent.
Campaigners told the Western Mail that presumed consent – the assumption that people support donating their organs after death unless they have previously opted-out – is the most effective way to boost the numbers of organs available for donation.
WALES could still seek a change to the law on organ donation despite reports of a UK government task force rejecting the idea of presumed consent.
Campaigners told the Western Mail that presumed consent – the assumption that people support donating their organs after death unless they have previously opted-out – is the most effective way to boost the numbers of organs available for donation.
Brave Danni met up with kind-hearted music hero - WalesOnline
Brave Danni met up with kind-hearted music hero - WalesOnline
DANNI Tilley rubbed shoulders with new rock royalty as she met Lostprohets lead singer Ian Watkins.
The 14-year-old shared a cuddle and a chat at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, as the rock star was named the Wales Kidney Foundation’s ambassador for young people.
Fan Danni, from Waenheulog, Nantyglo, is hoping that her dad David will be able to give her his kidney in the new year.
The teenager suffered kidney failure in 2007 and has been undergoing 10-hour nightly dialysis sessions since. She was put on the transplant waiting list in September.
DANNI Tilley rubbed shoulders with new rock royalty as she met Lostprohets lead singer Ian Watkins.
The 14-year-old shared a cuddle and a chat at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, as the rock star was named the Wales Kidney Foundation’s ambassador for young people.
Fan Danni, from Waenheulog, Nantyglo, is hoping that her dad David will be able to give her his kidney in the new year.
The teenager suffered kidney failure in 2007 and has been undergoing 10-hour nightly dialysis sessions since. She was put on the transplant waiting list in September.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Explaining renal treatment to people with learning disabilities
Explaining renal treatment to people with learning disabilities click
"As a clinical team, we recognised there was a lack of information to inform people with learning disabilities who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) about the many treatments and interventions available. In the past we had tended to focus on relatives and carers to give information and take decisions, undermining possible patient involvement.
We wanted to improve our communication with this patient group, recognising that we could enable them to participate more fully in decision-making."
"As a clinical team, we recognised there was a lack of information to inform people with learning disabilities who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) about the many treatments and interventions available. In the past we had tended to focus on relatives and carers to give information and take decisions, undermining possible patient involvement.
We wanted to improve our communication with this patient group, recognising that we could enable them to participate more fully in decision-making."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Transplant boy inspires Cardiff school reunion - WalesOnline
Transplant boy inspires Cardiff school reunion - WalesOnline
A BRAVE eight-year-old boy has inspired his mum and her friends to reunite their old school pals for charity.
Sharon Breeze, 40, from Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, is organising a reunion for people who attended Cardiff’s Lady Mary High School between 1976 and 1985, to raise money for the Kidney Wales Foundation.
The party has been inspired by Sharon’s son George, who underwent a vital kidney transplant at the age of five.
Sharon and her friends, Maggie Powell and Debbie Colley, nee Heppell, thought holding a reunion for the Cyncoed school, which has now closed, would be a great way to raise money to help others like George.
Having been born with dyspraxia, a condition which affects development, the bubbly youngster has always had to work harder than most children to lead a normal life.
And when a routine blood test identified George’s kidney problems in 2005, Sharon and her husband Martin, 43, feared the worst. She said: “I thought he was going to die. I just thought it was the end of the world.
“Then I started researching it and I heard stories about people who had transplants and went on to live normal lives. Knowledge is power and that helped me through.”
Sharon said her son initially found it hard to understand his condition.
“The only way we could describe it to George was by telling him his battery was running out,” she said. “He seemed to understand that because when his toys’ batteries were low they would stop working.”
In March 2006, Martin donated a kidney to his son. Almost immediately after the transplant, Sharon saw the colour rush to her son’s cheeks.
The fundraising reunion is at St Peter’s Hall in Roath, Cardiff, from 7.30pm on Saturday, November 15. Tickets cost £5. For details, call Sharon on 07970 780288.
A BRAVE eight-year-old boy has inspired his mum and her friends to reunite their old school pals for charity.
Sharon Breeze, 40, from Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, is organising a reunion for people who attended Cardiff’s Lady Mary High School between 1976 and 1985, to raise money for the Kidney Wales Foundation.
The party has been inspired by Sharon’s son George, who underwent a vital kidney transplant at the age of five.
Sharon and her friends, Maggie Powell and Debbie Colley, nee Heppell, thought holding a reunion for the Cyncoed school, which has now closed, would be a great way to raise money to help others like George.
Having been born with dyspraxia, a condition which affects development, the bubbly youngster has always had to work harder than most children to lead a normal life.
And when a routine blood test identified George’s kidney problems in 2005, Sharon and her husband Martin, 43, feared the worst. She said: “I thought he was going to die. I just thought it was the end of the world.
“Then I started researching it and I heard stories about people who had transplants and went on to live normal lives. Knowledge is power and that helped me through.”
Sharon said her son initially found it hard to understand his condition.
“The only way we could describe it to George was by telling him his battery was running out,” she said. “He seemed to understand that because when his toys’ batteries were low they would stop working.”
In March 2006, Martin donated a kidney to his son. Almost immediately after the transplant, Sharon saw the colour rush to her son’s cheeks.
The fundraising reunion is at St Peter’s Hall in Roath, Cardiff, from 7.30pm on Saturday, November 15. Tickets cost £5. For details, call Sharon on 07970 780288.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Dan runs in aid of Kidney Wales (From Western Telegraph)
Dan runs in aid of Kidney Wales (From Western Telegraph)
Dan runs in aid of Kidney Wales
10:00am Saturday 1st November 2008
Dan Cherry successfully completed the Cardiff half marathon recently.
This is the first leg in his build-up towards running the London marathon next spring and raising further vital funds for Kidney Wales who have been Glamorgan’s official charity for 2008.
There is a very special and personal reason why the 28-year-old, who is now a vital member of Glamorgan Cricket’s operations department, supports the charity.
Dan runs in aid of Kidney Wales
10:00am Saturday 1st November 2008
Dan Cherry successfully completed the Cardiff half marathon recently.
This is the first leg in his build-up towards running the London marathon next spring and raising further vital funds for Kidney Wales who have been Glamorgan’s official charity for 2008.
There is a very special and personal reason why the 28-year-old, who is now a vital member of Glamorgan Cricket’s operations department, supports the charity.
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