4:40pm Saturday 27th September 2008
A Fishguard woman who was the first person in the UK to have four major organ transplants, wants Wales to take the lead in improving renal patient care.
A pioneering council led by kidney patients and healthcare professionals was launched by minister for health and social services Edwina Hart yesterday (Tuesday).
Allison John, from Fishguard, is chairman of Kidney Wales Foundation’s People Like Us council and a kidney transplant recipient.
She said: “Many patients across Wales are still faced with ageing or inadequate kidney services, with too many having to travel hundreds of miles every week simply because there are no provisions for dialysis in their area.
“By bringing together patients and healthcare professionals the council will aim to help make Wales a leading provider of renal services and offer top class health care.”
The People Like Us council is the first of its kind in Wales. It aims to improve care by bringing together patients and healthcare professionals to discuss and develop solutions to issues affecting renal services.
The council’s proposals and recommendations will be presented to the Welsh Assembly and other key stakeholders.
Its launch follows the charity’s successful people like us campaign in 2007, which focused on the issues affecting renal patients in Wales and helped push the shortage of organ donors further up the political and social agenda.
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