For people with an assessed need, the non-emergency Patient Care Service (PCS) provides essential access to healthcare. This is particularly true for dialysis patients, where access to timely, efficient, equitable haemodialysis transport plays a fundamental part in their quality of life. By engaging with and listening to both dialysis patients and the staff within the Renal Units, NIAS can identify areas for improvement thereby ensuring the Service continues to meet the needs of this community.
NIAS PPI staff engaged with both HSCNI staff and service users within Renal Units across the region by face to face meetings, interviews with a questionnaire as well as this a meeting with Renal Alliance NI took place where they provided advice and guidance and supported with sharing our questionnaire with their service users.
NIAS aim to identify areas for improvement to their non-emergency transport service (PCS) for dialysis patients, where access to timely, efficient, equitable haemodialysis transport plays a fundamental part in their quality of life.
In the UK out of every 20 journeys, approximately 9 are patients attending outpatients’ appointments, 7 renal dialysis and 4 for discharges or transfers to other hospital settings.
The new PCS Framework in UK includes a new universal commitment to transport support for all journeys to and from renal dialysis.
The views and experiences of staff within the Renal Units were gathered in face-to-face meetings:
- Omagh Primary Care Centre,
- Daisy Hill Hospital,
- Altnagelvin Hospital,
- Antrim Area Hospital
The views and experiences of dialysis patients were recorded in 1-1 interviews by NIAS Involvement staff members:
- Omagh Primary Care Centre,
- Daisy Hill Hospital.
This piece of work is still ongoing and NIAS continue to embed service user/carer involvement into the organisation.
10 members of HSCNI staff working in Renal Units took part in face to face meetings providing feedback on the non-emergency transport service and recommendations for moving forward.
54 service users across the region took part in either 1:1 interviews or completed the online survey in relation to the non-emergency transport services (PCS).
Themes that emerged were – Communication, Planning, Local Knowledge, Voluntary Car Scheme and Fleet.
As a result of this a number of recommendations have been made which are being reviewed with an aim to work further with service users to support with moving forward.
