Isle of Anglesey County Council is working with Ysbyty Gwynedd Renal unit and Kidney Wales Charity in order to support Anglesey patients that are on home dialysis.
The county council recently secured £580,000 to deliver the Discretionary Cost-of-Living Support Scheme on behalf of the Welsh Government. Part of this funding will be used to support local home dialysis patients.
The funding will provide a payment of up to £500 per household, where there is a patient living on home dialysis due to kidney failure.
Managing Director of Kidney Wales, Ross Evans, said: ‘Kidney patients have worries that extend beyond their health, not least being financial. This partnership with Anglesey Council recognises the importance of supporting local patients in kidney failure of whom are managing their dialysis needs from home.”
He added, “We work closely with several patients and families across the Island and Wales. Whilst having the ability to be able to dialyse from home provides additional comfort and independence, we are acutely aware that associated costs of running a home dialysis machine will be high, particularly now with the ongoing cost of living crisis.”
“We look forward to enhancing the support available to Anglesey based home dialysis patients and their families and wish to thank the county council for ensuring this group of people are having their needs met during this cost-of-living crisis.”
Anglesey’s Head of Housing Services, Ned Michael, explained: “We work closely with our local renal team based from Ysbyty Gwynedd in order to ensure patients with chronic kidney disease and also those in kidney failure have access to suitable accommodation in order to meet their long-term needs within our communities.
“The ability to provide this essential funding stream for home dialysis patients should hopefully reduce some of the concerns in light of increasing household costs.”
Council leader, Councillor Llinos Medi, added: “As a council, we are proud to be supporting Anglesey’s home-based dialysis patients. Home dialysis patients and some of their families go through rigorous training in order to be able to use their machines from home.”
“Being able to dialyse from home ensures patients are comfortable and do not have to visit their local hospital on a weekly basis. The funding secured by the county council will also mean that dialysis patients can get treatment at home without having to worry about utility bills.”
Anglesey patients on home dialysis are encouraged to speak to their renal social worker or home dialysis team in order to process the application for this funding.
Ends 2 March 2023
Note to editors
The Welsh Government has provided the ‘Discretionary Cost of Living Support’ scheme to target households it considers to be in most need and which may be excluded from support provided by its main Cost-of-Living Support Scheme.
In June 2022, the council’s Executive approved the additional discretionary scheme which will result in £150 awarded to households in bands A to D who are residents but are exempt from Council Tax.
This payment also includes households which are occupied by care leavers, those with severe mental impairments alongside residents living in emergency accommodation, unpaid carers, those affected by the benefit cap and residents in supported accommodation.
It also approved a £150 payment to be distributed to Anglesey residents in higher education that rent or own accommodation on the island. Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Bangor University will distribute the payment to eligible Anglesey students.