FIRST LOOK: Inside Moreton Bay satellite hospital

They are the newest health facilities coming to Queensland, to take the burden off major hospitals and give care closer to home for locals — but what happens there?

Kallangur Satellite Hospital

Meet Caboolture resident Pauline Walker, one of many people who will reap the benefits of a new 12-chair satellite unit which will provide care closer to home for many Metro North patients.

She has been on dialysis for 17 years, describes the thrice-weekly visit to get dialysis as a means to an end – which keeps her alive to go to church and have fun with her grandchildren on a Sunday.

Pauline Walker (centre) with hospital staff.

Pauline has a genetic condition which she shares with her four brothers and two daughters, where they all have kidney failure and have either received a transplant or are on dialysis, so she is no stranger to the benefits of having a unit closer to home.

“My four brothers were all diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease and when I was 36 weeks pregnant, I was also diagnosed with this hereditary disease. I am in my 60s now,” she said.

“I have seen a lot of improvement over the years, especially as treatments and access to specialised services has improved.

“I live in Caboolture and currently travel to North Lakes for my treatment. Having the option to access the dialysis services at Kallangur will shorten my travel journey.

“I receive dialyse three times a week, so accessing care closer to home will save me hours each week.

“I think people who work in renal medicine have a deep compassion, and in my experience the staff have always been very caring. Rather than being treated like a patient, I really feel that we are partners in my journey and that my opinions and feeling matter.”

Kidney disease is a silent killer, with 1 in 3 Queensland adults at risk of developing chronic kidney disease – but unfortunately 90 per cent of kidney function can be lost before any symptoms are noticed.

Kidney disease is treatable if found early, so early detection and awareness of the symptoms and risk factors is key.

Nurse Unit Manager Mike Terry, Nephologist Dr Eoin O’Sullivan and Medical Director Dr Sharad Ratanjee cut a ribbon to mark the occasion.

Nephrologist Dr O’Sullivan said “it’s a very important goal of Metro North to provide services closer to home”.

“When patients can have dialysis closer to where they live it adds convenience and improves quality of life by reducing drive times,” he said.

Dr O’Sullivan has advanced training in treating kidney disease and helps to care for patients during their dialysis treatments.

Supporting the kidney health physicians is a highly specialised team of pharmacists, dietitians, physiotherapists and renal nurses who provide safe and comfortable dialysis in a relaxed and friendly environment.

The facility will also host a rehabilitation gym and is home to a Minor Illness and Injury Clinic that will provide free urgent care for people who don’t need to go to an emergency department, and who may not be able to attend a general practitioner.

At Kallangur, the Minor Illness and Injury clinic will be able to treat simple fractures, sprains and strains, head injuries without loss of consciousness, and a range of other urgent conditions. It will be open from 8am to 10pm daily and includes on site medical imaging.

It will also host an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health hub. Additional outpatient services will include oral health.

The twelve-chair kidney dialysis unit has the capacity to treat approximately 48 patients each week, providing a much needed ‘closer to home’ service.

Two further Satellite Hospitals at Bribie Island and Eight Mile Plains are due to open their doors next year.