BUTE KIDNEY PATIENT SUPPORT GROUP
Minutes of Meeting held on 26th November 2014
in Fyne Homes Offices, Victoria Street, Rothesay
Present:
Brian Balmain, Allan McFarlane, Shirley McFarlane, Maureen MacDonald, Anne
Polea, Helen Lambertini, Alison Cross
Apologies:
Jean McMillan and Irene Wilson
1. Minutes of 24th September 2014 were unanimously accepted
2. Matters Arising: The leaflets arrived in time for Take Time event. The stand looked very
good with the new banner and leaflets. A tablecloth will be ordered to complete our
marketing materials. Rothesay Health Centre agreed to display our leaflets. Shirley will
deliver them at some point next week.
3. Treasurer’s Report: The account stands at £6576.91. Cheques were distributed to Allan to
cover raffle prize for SKF Mini Conference and Shirley’s travel expenses.
4. The OSCAR Report has been submitted for approval.
5. Website: Alison has very kindly agreed to populate the website and update if for us free of
charge. She needs photos, logos and leaflet. Shirley will send these next week to Alison to
let her get started. Alison gave a description of Mail Chimp which is a free service that can
share email addresses, allow videos, interviews etc. She suggested getting a link on
Facebook so that people can like the link to our site. Suggestions included a video with
Matthew McCabe and his family and setting up a Forum. Helen has agreed to be trained by
Alison, so that we have someone else who can input to the website in due course. All
information for the website to be submitted via Shirley. A marketing idea from Alison was a
suggestion that we use jelly beans (kidney shaped) which was met with enthusiasm by the
members. BKSG is indebted to Alison for her help in getting us up and running with the
website and for her ongoing commitment to the group.
6. SKF Mini Conference: Allan reported that the conference in Glasgow went very well with
around 80 attending. A bigger event is planned for next year and further details will be
available after the SKF meeting on 4th December. The mini conference consisted of
workshops covering Benefits, Transport and Caring for Carers. The speakers were excellent
and covered a variety of topics including How People are chosen to be Transplanted, and a
Consultant who is taking people for transplant that would normally not have been given the
chance of a transplant due to various problems. The oldest person on the transplant list is
75 and the Consultant assured the audience that if the individual is healthy enough, he
would consider any age for transplantation.
Any other Business:
 Two local people have been identified with kidney disease- one is a dialysis patient and
the other is a possible dialysis patient. Allan will contact Derek Leslie’s successor re



numbers from Bute currently on dialysis as well as potential patients. Allan stated that
with regard to getting a local dialysis unit like the one in Campbeltown, Campbeltown
will be monitored and if successful, Bute might get a unit in future.
Allan attended the Patient’s Participation Group at Rothesay Health Centre and
reported that Dr Shaw will be leaving the Practice at the end of January 2015. His
replacement will be a male. With the changes to the ferry timetable in the New Year it
was pointed out that people with family in the Drumfrocher Residential Home face a
long and difficult journey to see their loved ones. McGills have been approached to
provide a bus from Gourock to Drumfrocher to make it easier. Passengers will also have
to use the car ramp as there is no gangway at Gourock. Cal Mac have promised to
provide additional staff to help the disabled.
It was agreed that Maureen would get a Christmas gift for Fyne Homes and for Margaret
Turnbull to thank them for the use of the premises.
Dates on 2015 meetings are as follows: 28th January, 25th March, 27th May, 29th July,
30th September and 25th November. These dates have been given to Margaret Turnbull
and she will confirm. She thinks the January date may be liable to change but the
remaining dates should be ok. Dates will be confirmed asap.