It’s claimed a Moray man on home dialysis is being “financially penalised” just for being ill, with no way for him to claim back the soaring costs of electricity needed to stay alive.
Retired nurse George Cook has been using the treatment at home in Aberlour for the last year.
The 63-year-old needs to use the equipment three times a week, for four hours each time, after suffering complete renal failure.
Alongside this, the water purification tech it requires has to be running 24 hours a day.
Around 2,000 Scots are on dialysis for kidney failure, but George is one of just 55 who have the equipment at home.
It’s thought these patients are having to pay hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds in extra electricity charges each year to manage their conditions.
Home dialysis costs could leave patients ‘priced out of existence’
Charity Kidney Care UK says kidney failure often leaves people “extremely cold” due to anaemia – meaning they’re even more likely to need the heating on.
Last year it issued grants of around £550,000 to patients, and said there’s an increasing number of cases where people are choosing between dialysing and putting food on the table.
It wants more to be done to reimburse people on home dialysis and better target crisis support for those in need.
Policy director Fiona Loud said: “We need others to step up and stop people like George feeling like they are being priced out of existence.”
Patients like George fear income ‘shrinking away’
Last year the charity estimated some home dialysis patients have been paying as much as £1,400 extra each year to cover the extra utility costs associated with home dialysis.
And this was before the recent price hike, which has George extremely concerned.
“Given the rate of inflation [of these costs], and the fact I’m on state pension, my disposable income is shrinking away,” he said.
“And the way things are going, this is going to escalate further.
“I’m not the only home dialysis patient in Grampian and I worry for the others.
“I feel that I am a victim of healthcare inequality – I should not be financially penalised for being sick.”
Local MSP vows to seek solution
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has taken up George’s case, pledging to write to NHS Grampian’s chief executive in search of a solution.
”There’s no doubt that, with rising energy costs, there will be many patients in Moray and across Grampian who will be extremely worried about the increasing cost of operating vital medical equipment at home,” he said.
“I will be looking into what support is available for those affected.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said it is doing everything within its power to help those worst affected by rising energy prices.
This includes allocating a further £10m to its Fuel Insecurity Fund and increasing weekly child support payments from £20 to £25 by the end of the year.
It is also asking the UK government to temporarily cut VAT on energy bills, among other measures.
