This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Report on renal services
06/03/2003
A report on adult renal services, published today by the independent clinical governance body NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, shows a generally high level of compliance with national standards.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm welcomed the findings and said he now expected NHS Boards to carefully consider and then implement the report's recommendations so that they would be able to meet all renal services standards in the future.
Mr Chisholm said:
"I welcome this report on adult renal services. It shows that across Scotland there is generally a high level of compliance with most of the standards, published in February 2002 by the former Clinical Standards Board for Scotland.
"Like all of our clinical standards, these relate to the aspects of service which really matter to patients. I now look to NHS Boards to consider their performance in relation to the report, to respond to the recommendations and implement these improvements and changes in practices so that patients in all parts of Scotland receive the highest possible standards of treatment and care.
"Nationally, the work which we are taking forward on workforce planning and development in Scotland, and our efforts to strengthen multi-disciplinary working will help ensure that we have the right frontline staff and support staff in the right place to ensure improvements in the provision and delivery of adult renal services."
Meanwhile, the Minister strongly backed the report's comments on the importance of organ donation, for helping bring renewed hope to patients and their families.
"Transplants are literally a matter of life and death for many of the 600 people across the country currently awaiting a new organ. Most of them are waiting for a new kidney.
"The NHS QIS report rightly highlights the fact that kidney transplantation is a success in Scotland, but also points out that the need for donor kidneys has never been higher. It is deeply frustrating for patients and their families, and NHS staff, that lives remain in the balance not because of lack of funding, lack of commitment or lack of enthusiasm, but simply through lack of organs.
"Last July, we published an organ donation strategy for Scotland which contained a wide range of initiatives. It received a favourable response and we are currently working on implementing those recommendations. We are also developing a major national publicity campaign to increase public awareness of the issues surrounding organ donation and transplantation for use in schools. Both of these aim to encourage people to talk about organ donation with family and friends.
"We also want to see as many people as possible carrying organ donor cards and adding their names to the more than 10 million others who have already joined the NHS Organ Donor Register, and who may someday bring new life to chronically ill patients, after their own death."
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is a Special Health Board, established on January 1 this year, which brings together the work of the former Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (CSBS), Clinical Resource and Audit Group (CRAG), Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS), Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit, and Scottish Health Advisory Service (SHAS).