A hospital unit that has supported thousands of patients with kidney problems marked its 25th anniversary this week.
The Renal Unit at Inverclyde Royal Hospital was officially opened by Princess Alexandra in August 1999.
It started as a small ward with just six patients on dialysis, who would have previously had to travel to Glasgow for the life-saving treatment.
Over the past 25 years, the Unit has expanded to include a second clinical area and is currently seeing 61 patients and performing around 180 dialysis sessions per week.
This week a celebration event was held, with staff and patients – some of whom having been working at or attending the Unit since it was set up – coming together to share memories, gifts and tea and cake.
One patient, 74-year-old Agnes, from Greenock, started receiving dialysis at the Unit when it was set up, after spending almost two years travelling back and forth to Glasgow Royal Infirmary three times a week.
Agnes, a mum of two, had polycystic kidney disease, which caused her organs to function at only 7 per cent.
She had a kidney transplant operation in 2004 but still attends the Renal Unit in Inverclyde every three months for blood tests.
Agnes said: “When the Unit first opened it made such a huge difference to me as it is so much closer to come and saved me having to travel up to Glasgow three times a week.
“I know how lucky I am to have been given a kidney transplant – the difference in my life ever since has been night and day.
“I’ve got six grandchildren now and it means I’m able to spend time with them and run around and play with them.
“The Unit is superb, I still come here regularly for checks at the clinic. The staff here are amazing and make the place feel like home.”
Agnes was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Consultant Nephrologist Professor Colin Geddes, who helped set up the Unit in 1999.
He described the staff there as “pioneers” as they helped set up the first of nine ‘satellite’ dialysis suites and have since trained nurses who now support patients on dialysis in Rothesay.
The Renal Unit’s longest dialysis patient is Myra Cox, who has been receiving the treatment at the IRH since 2011. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a gift earlier in the week when she attended her appointment.
Several staff members were also honoured during the event, including medical secretary Jennifer Johns, who has been working with the Unit since before its doors opened, and Charge Nurse Mairi Rennie, the Unit’s longest-serving nurse.
Jennifer, from Gourock, said: “It has been a fantastic week celebrating the silver anniversary of the Renal Unit.
“We’ve organised games and nice food for patients, and many of them have been wearing touches of silver when they’ve come in for their dialysis sessions.
“I really love my job and it’s all because of the team and the patients here. Many of our patients come multiple times a week and are long-term, so we build up close relationships with them.”
Meanwhile, one of the Unit’s newest members of staff, nurse Jayne Rice, told how she was inspired to follow the career path after visiting her gran, Catherine Horn, who was having dialysis at the Unit when Jayne was a child.
Jayne, 24, brought in a project she did in primary school at the age of 10, which asked pupils to research their hero.
She said: “My gran was my hero, and I remember coming in and interviewing the nurses here as part of my project.
“I now work with some of those same nurses which is amazing because they remember me here as a little girl.
“I was so inspired by them all that I chose nursing as a career, and my dream was always to work here at this Unit.
“It feels really special.”
The presentation event was also attended by Dr Mun Woo, Associate Specialist for the Renal Unit, Senior Charge Nurse Alison Hyslop, Lead Nurse Diane Wright, and the founding consultant Dr Stuart Rodger, who has now retired.
Jackie Walker, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s General Manager for Renal Services, presented staff at the IRH with a commemorative plaque on behalf of the senior management team.
Susan Groom, Director of Regional Services for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “Over the past 25 years the Renal Unit at Inverclyde Royal Hospital has expanded, with patient numbers going from six to over 60.
“It has transformed the way we care for dialysis and transplant patients, allowing them to be treated and supported closer to home.
“The anniversary event this week was the perfect opportunity for us to thank the fantastic team who work there, and the patients and families who attend the Unit regularly.”