Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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Local MP speaks out on kidney care
Lewes MP Norman Baker has chosen today, World Kidney Day, to speak out about the state of dialysis facilities in his constituency.
At present, the nearest dialysis centres for Lewes residents are at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Bexhill Hospital, and Worthing Hospital. This can lead to problems for people who have to use public transport, as it takes approximately 1 hour 19 minutes by public transport for patients to reach Worthing.
This problem is likely to be compounded in the future, as more people develop kidney problems. Indeed, it is estimated by the National Kidney Federation, that by 2014, 70 people in Lewes will require renal replacement therapy.
Furthermore, it is estimated that approximately 5,418 people in the Lewes constituency presently suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease, which can take on a range of symptoms, and varies in severity.
Speaking about the availability of dialysis services in his constituency, Norman Baker said, "I find the limited availability of dialysis facilities locally to be a cause of some concern. Although there are facilities at the Royal Sussex Hospital, one has to question whether or not they will be able to keep up with the rise in demand for dialysis that experts predict will happen in the coming years.
"I think that it would be prudent if the local PCTs in my area were to start considering now how they expect to cope with the projected increase in demand for dialysis services, so that my constituents are not forced to go as far afield as Bexhill or Worthing for their necessary treatment."