At-home dialysis funded after hospital issues
BBCKidney patients are being offered the opportunity to undergo fully-funded dialysis at home by NHS Grampian, after some people had to travel up to 70 miles for treatment.
A building issue at Dr Gray's hospital in Elgin meant some patients had to travel overnight in September for their care.
Four patients in Aberdeen trialled the at-home programme, including Victoria Adams-Ross - who said the scheme had "changed her life".
NHS Grampian said the roll-out of the new scheme would see about 10% of haemodialysis patients given their treatment in their house.
At-home treatment now includes energy costs, and there is funding for 25 machines to be used across the region.
Ms Adams-Ross, 54, said getting her care at home was letting her have more time for herself and she can make time for more of her hobbies.
"I don't feel as ill every day and I can now go for a swim in the morning before I do my dialysis," she told BBC Scotland News.
"It just means I can nip to the shop if I want to nip to the shop and I can do my dialysis at five at night if I want to.
"I wish I could have done this straight away but it wasn't an option when I started dialysis."
Ms Adams-Ross was born with kidney problems, but only started dialysis two-and-a-half years ago.
She had been spending two-and-a-half hours at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, three times a week.
Being able to be treated at home "has just changed my life", she said.
"I'm hoping to get back to work as well but I am not sure how far down the road that will be yet.
"But going for a swim first thing in the morning and not feeling sick all day, it is just so much more relaxed and a million times better for my mental health."
In September, building work at Dr Gray's forced 24 patients to have their dialysis treatment relocated.
Appointments were moved to Peterhead, Inverurie and Banff.
It meant some patients faced a journey of up to 70 miles (113km) - three times a week - for a month.
George Cook had to travel 50 miles to Inverurie for his care after initially being told he would have to make an overnight trip to Banff from his home in Aberlour.
Mr Cook and his wife have since moved to nearer the renal unit in Elgin and said the new NHS Grampian change was too late from him.
He said he had to remove his own machine in his house due to rising energy costs - costs which are now included in the programme.
He added: "I tried quite vigorously to get NHS Grampian to engage with me about the costs of the electricity for running the equipment but I had no success and was met with silence.
"But if anyone feels they could do it at home please go for it because it does make your life a lot easier and give you greater freedom."
Scott Arnot, of NHS Grampian, said: "Home Haemodialysis will eradicate that travel aspect for patients so they will gain that valuable time back in their lives.
"I'm sure that people will take up the opportunity and take away those timely travel times that some of those patients can have across Grampian."
Patient support charity Kidney Care UK have welcomed the scheme but called for NHS Grampian to go even further.
Fiona Loud, the charity's policy director, said: "Not everyone will be suitable for home dialysis, and national guidance notes that 20% is the potential proportion of people who could be on this treatment.
"Extending this to 10% is a start but we'd like to see NHS Grampian aim for a base line of 20% over time."