Published on Friday 18 May 2012 11:00

EFFORTS to provide kidney dialysis treatment at Berwick Infirmary, thus saving patients a 120-mile round trip to Newcastle, are still being held up.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is hopeful that further discussions with NHS North of Tyne, which commissions services, will open the door.

Jim Mackey, chief executive, said: “We don’t provide kidney dialysis treatment in Northumbria Healthcare but we have been trying over the years to persuade Newcastle Hospitals to provide a mobile service.

“They are commissioned by NHS North of Tyne, though that is changing next year, and they have still not reached agreement with Newcastle.”

However, there are hopes that the trust’s recent purchase of hospitals in Cumbria, which do provide dialysis services, could pave the way.

Mr Mackey said: “There is potential that we might be able to provide the service in a different way. It’s a service that is really tricky to provide because you don’t want it done in a haphazard way. If we could pull it off it would be an expansion of the service at Berwick.”

Last year, a petition calling on the trust to provide kidney dialysis treatment at Berwick Infirmary was signed by over 2,000 people.

Berwick MP Sir Alan Beith said it was ‘unacceptable’ that sick patients faced a journey of up to 120 miles to receive dialysis, several times a week. The petition was instigated by Berwick councillor Clive Routledge and his wife Joy after they became aware of several people making the arduous trip.

Coun Routledge, speaking at the town meeting, said: “It’s a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. Patients who are ill should not have to make that trip down the A1.”

Mr Mackey also said there was not a large enough population locally to provide paediatric services.

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