** THIS SERVICE CHANGE HAS BEEN APPROVED **

This is a proposed service change to renal dialysis services which are currently being provided at the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford to move to an off-site location at Stafford Park, Telford.  No decision has yet been made regarding this potential service change, and we want to hear the views of our patients and the public.  We are holding patient and public events in January (please see the link below for more details) and there is an online survey which you can complete to give us your views about current renal dialysis services (please see the link below)

Currently The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust provides satellite dialysis services on Ward 5 at the Princess Royal Hospital Telford and Ludlow Hospital, and our acute dialysis service is provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Renal Dialysis services are facing considerable challenges as the result of:

• Increasing future demand due to ageing population and demographic growth
• further increase in demand due to recovering Covid patients suffering from long-term renal complications
• non-compliance with HBN07-01 building standards. This has become more of an issue during the pandemic, current on-site facilities do not allow for social distancing
• Inability to address CQC concerns re privacy and dignity

Following an assessment, the preferred clinical option to increase capacity for dialysis is to relocate the PRH Renal dialysis service to a purpose-designed location at Hollinswood House, an off-site facility at Stafford Park in Telford.  The Dialysis unity would provide care for non-acute lower risk dialysis patients.  The location of the new Unit would be approximately 8 minute drive from the Princess Royal Hospital.

Our senior nursing and medical colleagues are involved in this project and support both the need for improved dialysis facilities and the move to a community location.  This proposal would allow us to meet not only the current level of dialysis demand for the population of Telford and Wrekin but also the projected future demand for approximately the next 10 years with the building footprint allowing for additional expansion.  The building would also comply with HBN07-01 building standards offering a more spacious unit that would meet both social distancing and privacy and dignity quality standards.

This proposed relocation would enable the existing location, ward 5, to be upgraded and converted back into an inpatient ward supporting timely access for our emergency patients.  SaTH (and the STW ICS) is planning to use capital investment in 2021/22 and 2022/23 to fund the facility which will cost £4.5 million plus an additional £500k to upgrade Ward 5 to improve these services.