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Guernsey is a popular holiday destination for both British and Europeans alike. Steeped in occupation history and natural beauty, Guernsey boasts great food, beaches, cliff paths and due to our VAT free status, great retail therapy!!
PLEASE NOTE
Due to increasing numbers of local patients requiring dialysis we are currently unable, at this stage, to accept any further holiday patients for 2004. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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| E111 forms |
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| Guernsey is not a member of the European Community (EC); therefore we are unable to accept E111 funding forms. Instead your local health authority must approve funding for each haemodialysis session you attend which is currently £247.00 per session. The funding approval certificate is included with the holiday dialysis application forms. |
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| 6 EASY STEPS |
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| There are six steps to organising holiday dialysis in Guernsey: |
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| Step 1 |
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| Holiday dialysis spaces in Guernsey are limited. This is due to our ongoing commitment to our own patients and their haemodialysis schedules. Therefore holiday slots need to be organised around them. With this in mind we recommend that anybody interested in holidaying here contact our holiday co-ordinator, Rosie Eaton, prior to organising their holiday to check the initial availability of dialysis slots and make a provisional booking. We are unable to take patients who are HIV or Hepatitis positive. |
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| Step 2 |
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Either ask your primary nurse at your base unit to print the holiday application forms from our website (available from the link below) or alternatively, print them yourself and give them to your unit to fill out.
Confirmation of acceptance will be dependant on the patient and their home unit satisfying all of the following criteria:
- The patient has been well on HD for a minimum of six months
- A letter from the renal registrar is sent prior to holiday stating that patient is fit for treatment away from home unit (ie: to travel and have holiday dialysis)
- Previous weeks haemodialysis records are faxed to the Guernsey renal unit prior to patient departing for holiday (ie: after their last session with home unit prior to holiday)
- Access is permanent and is more than six months old
- Patient’s latest renal biochemistry, haematology, HIV, MRSA and Hepatitis B & C results will be faxed to the Guernsey renal unit no less than one month prior to holiday. We are unable to accept patients who are HIV or Hepatitis positive
- All relevant documentation is completed, faxed or posted to the Guernsey renal unit within one month of provisional booking of hoilday
- Certificate of authority for funding for treatment is completed in full and forwarded to the Guernsey renal unit
If medication (eg: IV alphacalcidol or EPO) needs to be given by us we require that the medication is provided by the home unit along with a copy of the prescription before we can administer it.
Days and times of dialysis sessions cannot be given more than 2 weeks prior to holiday. This is so we can cater for our own patients and any changes in their haemodialysis schedules and so that staffing levels can be organised. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
It will be the responsibility of the Holiday patient or their unit to contact us and confirm days and times two weeks prior to their holiday.
*Holiday application forms must be returned to the Guernsey Dialysis Unit within one month of making the provisional holiday booking with us. Otherwise the holiday slot will not be guaranteed and may be given to someone else. It is the home unit’s responsibility to make sure the correct paperwork is completed and returned to the Guernsey Dialysis Unit within the allotted time. The Guernsey Dialysis Unit will confirm holiday places once application forms have been received and reviewed.
We further ask that home dialysis units inform us of any changes to holiday patient’s dialysis prescriptions, health status or access that may occur between their initial holiday application and their holiday. |
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| Step 3 |
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Your unit should then send the forms to us via post or fax as soon as you know the dates you would like to take your holiday. We are unable to have forms sent to us from the website due to confidentiality issues and site security. Our fax number is: +44 (0) 1481 707 475.
We would recommend that you do not book your holiday until you have received confirmation from us of your eligibility and that we have dialysis slots available for your preferred holiday dates. We reserve the right to not accept or cancel holiday slots, at any stage, if we feel that it is inappropriate for the patient to dialyse with us for any reason. |
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| Step 4 |
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| Once we have received the forms and determined your eligibility, we will contact your unit and confirm your booking. Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm days and times till two weeks prior to your holiday. This is due to the allocation of staffing for the unit and our ongoing commitment to our own patients. |
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| Step 5 |
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Book your holiday!! Ensure you have adequate travel insurance that covers pre-existing illness and includes repatriation in the event of you needing to return to your home unit unexpectedly. The Guernsey Board of Health has no direct affiliation with the NHS. Doctors and dentists in Guernsey are in private practice and patients are required to pay for all treatment provided by a general practitioner. This can be at a surgery, where you are staying, or in the Accident & Emergency Department at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital as these services are provided by general practitioners in private practice.
Hospital accommodation and medical services are provided free of charge to visitors under the Reciprocal Health Agreement. If you need further longer term treatment you will be expected to return to your own doctor. Any return travel home must be paid for by you, whether you travel home as you would have expected to or require a charter flight etc. You will also be required to pay for your prescription, for any travel by ambulance and for dental care. In addition, district and community nursing services are not available unless they are obtained privately through the general practitioners.
Therefore, as you may well imagine, a visit to the Accident & Emergency department at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital or a visit to a local G.P can prove quite costly without adequate travel insurance.
Either your local dialysis unit or travel agent should be able to provide you with advice and contact numbers with regards to travel Insurance. You must make sure that your insurance covers pre-existing illnesses.
The National Kidney Federation patient’s helpline has a list of telephone numbers of companies who offer travel insurance packages tailored especially for kidney patients and their families. Tel: 0845 601 0209 for further details (calls charged at a local rate). |
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| Step 6 |
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| Your unit will need to send us up to date MRSA and blood results at least two weeks and HIV and Hepatitis screens four weeks prior to your arriving. We would also ask that they notify us of any changes in your dialysis prescription, especially your dry weight as we have had several patients recently arrive with adjusted dry weights that we were not aware of. |
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| Transplant waiting list |
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If you are on the transplant waiting list there are three alternatives to consider:
- Ask the transplant co-ordinators to suspend your name on the list or
- Insure yourself for a flight home in the event of contact. This is likely to be expensive or
- Be prepared to pay for a flight back at short notice
- Make sure you give your holiday contact details to your transplant co-ordinator
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| Holiday dialysis tips |
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- Leave a contact address and telephone number with your local unit
- Do not expect things to be the same as in your own unit
- Take all your drugs, including the EPO as hand luggage. Do not put them in your main luggage. Ensure you have a letter from your unit explaining why you have syringes with you.
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| Peritoneal dialysis |
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| It is much easier to travel when you are on PD. Arrangements can be made for deliveries to Guernsey through your supplier. Contact your Home Dialysis Administrator and they will advise you on the procedures required. You will need to provide your Home Dialysis Administration office with the address and telephone number of your destination and the dates of your holiday. |
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| Eating out on a renal diet |
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Special thanks to Dr Lynne Harbottle, from the Princess Elizabeth Hospital’s dietetics department, for providing the following information
Although the renal diet involves several restrictions, it should not prevent you from socializing and eating out. With a little planning ahead and careful menu-selection you can enjoy an occasional meal out as part of your renal diet:
Protein - If you know you are going out for a meal, reduce your protein portion sizes at the other main meals earlier in the day to allow a greater intake when out, eg use non-dairy creamer in place of your milk allowance or have smaller protein portions at mealtimes.
Fluid - Drinking with a meal is an important part of socialising, but creates problems if you are following a fluid restriction. Try the following ideas:
Reduce your fluid intake earlier in the day to allow you slightly more with your meal.
Sip drinks slowly to make them last longer. Choose shorts rather than long drinks and avoid carbonated mixers (high in sodium).
Avoid adding salt to the meal as you will feel more thirsty and retain more fluid.
Potassium - You may find it helpful to reduce your potassium intake the day before you go out (eg avoid potatoes that day) and to save your fruit and vegetable allowances for the meal. Choose a sandwich or similar snack earlier in the day in place of a cooked meal or salad. One portion of fruit/vegetables can then be exchanged for:
4 glasses dry sherry or
2 glasses medium/sweet sherry or
4 measures dry/sweet vermouth or
1 glass red or medium white wine or
2 glasses dry or rose wine or champagne or
½ pint beer/lager/shandy
Strong ale and cider are high in potassium and should be avoided.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Starters:
avoid soup, fruit juice and avocado
suitable choices include garlic bread, prawn cocktail and pate (but high in phosphate)
Main Course:
most types of plain, grilled, roast, boiled or fried meat and fish are suitable.
choose plain boiled or mashed potatoes in preference to saute,
jacket, roast or chips which are higher in potassium. Have a small
portion and fill up on bread.
rice and pasta are low in potassium. If you choose these instead
of potatoes you can have an accompanying dish containing some
tomatoes/mushrooms.
select small portions of vegetables or salad (ideally with oil,
vinegar/lemon juice dressing - ready made salad dressing and
mayonnaise may be salty so only use a small amount).
Desserts:
fruit pies, gateaux, meringues, trifle and sorbet are good choices
avoid desserts containing chocolate, nuts and dried fruit
mixed fruit salad (no juice) and low potassium fruits with cream
are also suitable
avoid the cheese board
MEALS WITH FRIENDS AND RELATIVES
These can range from a simple lunch snack to an elaborate dinner party menu. If you let your friends know in advance about your dietary restrictions and give them a brief list of high potassium foods to avoid if will take pressure off them and help you to relax when it comes to the actual meal.
If they do serve high potassium or salty foods, try to keep to small portions and compensate by cutting down on your intake of these foods the following day. If the meal is a buffet, simply choose the foods you know to be most suitable and don’t be tempted to keep going back for more! |
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| SPECIFIC RESTAURANTS |
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ITALIAN
Pasta, rice and pizza dough are all low in potassium, so if you choose these, you can have sauces and pizza toppings containing some tomato or mushrooms but do not choose dishes with excessive amounts of sauce.
Menu-selection:
Suitable starters -
garlic bread, pate with toast, prawn cocktail
Main courses -
steak/veal/ chicken/pork plain or with pepper sauce
baked or grilled fish with butter or lemon
pizza with chicken, pork, mince, pepperoni, ham, onion, peppers, pineapple, sweetcorn, olives
pasta with cream sauces eg seafood in cream sauce,
carbonnara, lasagne
if you have a tomato sauce don’t have extra high potassium
foods
add pepper for extra flavour not parmesan which is salty.
Desserts -
fruit gateaux e.g. strawberry
sorbets, plain ice cream, zabaglione
mixed fruit salad and cream
avoid tirimisu |
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CHINESE
Noodles and plain boiled/fried rice are low in potassium, allowing the inclusion of slightly more potassium in the main dish e.g. Chinese mushrooms or a few nuts but avoid seaweed which is very high in potassium. Chinese food may be flavoured with monosodium glutamate which can lead to increased thirst. Don’t add soy sauce and avoid very salty foods like barbecued pork. Save enough of your fluid allowance to include a thirst-quenching drink after your meal.
Menu-selection:
Suitable starters -
spring rolls
sesame/prawn toast
dim sum
crispy wontons
Main courses -
beef/chicken/ pork and green peppers with blackbean sauce
lemon chicken
crispy duck and pancakes
beef/chicken chow mein
Desserts -
pineapple fritters in syrup
sorbets/ice cream
Chinese tea is low in potassium so can be included as part of your fluid allowance. |
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INDIAN
Rice, chappatis, naan and puris are low in potassium so allowing you the extra potassium from curry spices. Avoid bombay mix, which is high in salt and potassium, and lassi.
Menu-selection:
Suitable starters -
1 pakora, samosa or kebab. Avoid bhajis.
1 popadom only as these are salty and use only a small
amount of the sweet chutney sweet pickles
Main courses -
tandoori chicken with rice and small salad
chicken/meat dishes such as bhuna, and biryani tend to be dry and served with sauce - only have a small amount of this
dhal keep to small portions and do not have additional
vegetables
other curries- Hot curries may increase thirst, choose mild dry types with few added vegetables and no nuts.
avoid potato and vegetable curries and accompanying dishes containing spinach, mushroom or potato
Desserts -
fresh/ tinned fruit such as lychees
ice creams/sorbets
jelabi
avoid kulfi, ras-mali and other Indian sweets containing milk and nuts. |
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PUB MEALS
Menu-selection:
Suitable starters-
prawn cocktail
garlic bread
chicken wings
Main courses/snacks -
rolls/sandwiches/toasties
beefburgers in a bap
cottage pie
meat pie, sausages, fried fish or scampi with small portions
of mashed/boiled potatoes and vegetables
pork/beef/lamb grilled, barbecued or fried, served plain or with mustard, mint jelly or pepper sauce
chicken kiev
chilli with rice - no extra salad/vegetables
roast dinner with mashed/boiled potatoes, yorkshire pudding
and vegetables
mild curry and rice (not potato or vegetable)
grilled, baked, fried or poached fish with lemon or parsley
sauce or fish pie
try to avoid chips or share a portion and fill up on bread
Desserts -
gateaux, fruit pies and crumbles with cream, steamed jam
pudding, ice cream or sorbet |
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