New dialysis system saves thousands at Hollinswood House
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is saving £30,000 a year following the installation of a new dialysis delivery system at Hollinswood House.
The Community Diagnostic Centre, which opened in Telford in October 2023, houses an outpatient unit for lower risk dialysis patients. Staff previously had to carry heavy six litre plastic containers to each station, posing manual handling risks and creating large amounts of waste.
David Roberts and Jeremy Harris from the medical equipment team coordinated the move to a Central Delivery System. This setup pumps the fluid directly to the renal unit through a network of pipes.
The switch has removed the need to dispose of or recycle several hundred plastic containers every week. It also saves the equivalent of half a million litres of water and 23,000 litres of dialysis fluid each year.
The trust reports that the changes contribute to a saving of three quarters of a tonne of CO2 for each of the 26 dialysis stations annually.
David said: “We identified that cost savings could be made with the installation of this new system in the new building at Hollinswood House and between Jeremy and myself, we worked together to make the whole system better for patients and colleagues alike. It is the future of renal services in Shropshire.”
The team continues to maintain the system and train staff to ensure it is used safely.
Chief Executive Officer Jo Williams said: “This is a great example of how our teams are finding smarter ways to improve care while using NHS resources responsibly. By investing in systems that reduce waste, save money and make day-to-day work safer for our staff, we’re improving the experience for both patients and colleagues.”
