For many people in the Highlands and Islands distance can be a barrier to accessing health services.
It’s a problem The Oxygen Works in Inverness aims to overcome by taking its treatment to those who have difficulty travelling.
The charity is raising money to buy a mobile hyperbaric oxygen chamber to treat people in rural areas in or near their homes.
One long Covid patient said she spent £2,000 travelling back and forth to Inverness for a course of treatment.
Who does the charity help?
The centre helps users with a number of conditions including multiple sclerosis, cancer, Parkinson’s and diabetes.
Clients come from as far away as the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, Lochaber and Moray. But for some travelling is difficult, costly and even counter-productive.
The mobile unit, or tensile chamber, could also benefit children with additional needs. Children can also find the six-person chamber at the charity’s base intimidating.
The mobile unit, costing more than £25,000, will be rented out to people in their homes. It could also be set up in a community building for use by a number of people.
It will help The Oxygen Works gauge demand in areas. Then, it could set up permanent ‘satellite’ bases in the longer term.
The need for the mobile chamber is highlighted by a centre user receiving treatment for long Covid.
The woman, from Keith, began visiting The Oxygen Works for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in October 2022.
She credits the therapy as being a factor in her ongoing recovery.
However, her round trips to Inverness means she has spent more than 200 hours on the train.
This costs her on average £50 per week to attend two sessions, adding up to more than £2,000.
‘Travel can be challenging and exhausting’
“While the treatment itself is very cost effective, the cost of travel to and from the centre is actually more expensive”, she said.
“One of the key benefits of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy is improvements in levels of fatigue and increased energy for a short period immediately after treatment.
“However, the travel to and from the centre can be both challenging and exhausting. That means I use up some of the benefit in energy terms which I gain from the treatment.”
The mobile chamber has a hard shell with an internal structure like a tent. It can be packed and transported with the oxygen generation equipment and compressor.
Leigh-Ann Little is the Oxygen Works CEO.
She said: “We will be able to offer this to people to use in their own home, providing them with a solution that works with their lifestyle. This is something which is extremely challenging for families with children with additional needs.
“Equally, this could offer us the opportunity to provide mobile HBOT, taking this service to areas where there is currently no provision.”
Far-reaching benefits of The Oxygen Works mobile chamber
“It offers us more flexibility and to have a more person-centred approach to HBOT which we don’t have with a multi-place chamber.
“With the complexities of operating in the Highlands, it may be better in future to have smaller chambers offering great flexibility and a wider geographical cover than one or two bigger chambers.”
Jenni Donnelly, the centre’s general manager, said a social media page created for the Outer Hebrides to check demand attracted 200 inquiries.
“It could have far-reaching benefits for people without them having to face the difficulties of travelling and allow us to spread beyond our current reach.”
The mobile chamber is being supplied by OxyHealth which has more than 15,000 in use worldwide.
OxyHealth Europe CEO Michael Hellenbrand said they are a “fantastic solution” for a wide range of reasons.
He added: “Having the possibility of hyperbarics come to people, gives hope for recovery to people who would otherwise have no possibility of obtaining this life-changing therapy.”
A JustGiving page has been set up to fundraise for the mobile chamber.
In May, a group of companies paid for a new cost-saving solar energy system at The Oxygen Works’ base.
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