Summary
Capricorn Coast Renal Service has celebrated a year of providing vital dialysis to locals, enhancing healthcare services closer to home.
Patient Steven Haynes is one of those who appreciates the extra hours in his day thanks to life-sustaining dialysis closer to home.
Before his care was transferred to the new centre in 2025, Mr Haynes had been travelling to Rockhampton three times a week for his five-hour dialysis treatments since 2022.
“It’s great not having the worry of travelling every day, but this new facility is lovely,” he said. “There are only eight chairs and so we all get to know each other and what’s going on in our lives. That’s not just the patients; it’s also the staff.
“The crew down here are really good. We’re an extended family really.”
Mr Haynes said the convenience of local treatment also helped the hip pocket.
“When you look at fuel, car parking and wear and tear on your car it all adds up,” he said.
Nurse Unit Manager Erin McGovern said the state-of-the-art, eight-chair unit performed about 1600 dialysis treatments in its first year.
“We currently have 12 patients using this service, and they are grateful to have access to their dialysis here on the Capricorn Coast,” she said.
“They previously had to travel to Rockhampton about three times a week for their treatment that takes about four hours each time.”
Ms McGovern said the unit’s highly skilled renal nurses were also grateful to work closer to home rather than driving to Rockhampton.
“It’s such a fabulous place to work. The facility is wonderful, and our team and patients are great.”