A REMOTE community has won a campaign demanding that the NHS opens a local dialysis unit to stop patients having to travel 700 miles a week.
For years kidney patients in Campbeltown have had to make the longest journey in Britain to access dialysis treatment, because NHS Highland doesn't provide it in Argyll.
The local community stepped in after Kathleen Sharp, 64, and Mary MacKay, 73, revealed they had had to travel 700 miles a week for treatment to the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire.
Campbeltown's 5,000 residents have raised more than £20,000 in six weeks to fund dialysis equipment.
NHS Highland, who the women accused of breaching their human rights, yesterday agreed to open a pilot dialysis unit in the town's Hospital.
Councillor Donald Kelly, chairman of Campbeltown's Kidney Support Group, said: "I got a phone call from the NHS service panel manager this morning to tell me they are going ahead with it.
"The community are delighted and I must pay tribute to the people for all their hard work and how the community has come together to fight the case for kidney dialysis in Campbeltown.
"This is an issue that has been rattling around for years but we only started the campaign in June.
"The unit should be up and running within six months, maybe sooner.
"The NHS are making arrangements for the nurses in Campbeltown to be trained, and they have to go to tender for work that needs to be done in the unit, but we have agreed to put the money we have raised across to them.
"We will continue to fundraise to reach our £35,000 target to pay for two dialysis units and two special chairs."
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