AQW 35332/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of patients who receive routine payment for energy costs due to the use of (i) peritoneal dialysis machines in the home; and (ii) haemodialysis treatment in the home, in each year since 2020, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Connie Egan MLA on 12 November 2025
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 12 November 2025
- Answer due by
- 27 November 2025
- Answered
- 2 February 202682 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Peritoneal Dialysis
| BHSCT | NHSCT | SEHSCT | SHSCT | WHSCT | |
| 2024 | 27 | 10 | |||
| 2025 | 22 | Not available | 12 | 15 | 11 |
The Trusts started providing payments for peritoneal dialysis in 2024 or 2025 on instruction of DoH. Where appropriate, payments have been backdated. Numbers vary throughout the year due to patient turnover related to transplantation rates, new starts etc. SHSCT and WHSCT have provided a snapshot at a point in time.
Northern Trust have stated that their finance systems do not hold this level of detail and therefore they cannot provide the information.
Home Haemodialysis
| BHSCT | NHSCT | SEHSCT | SHSCT | WHSCT | |
| 2020 | 9 | 7 | <5 | <5 | <5 |
| 2021 | 9 | 5 | <5 | <5 | 5 |
| 2022 | 8 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 |
| 2023 | 9 | <5 | 0 | <5 | <5 |
| 2024 | 11 | <5 | 0 | <5 | <5 |
| 2025 | 11 | <5 | 0 | <5 | <5 |
The Home Therapies team in Belfast Trust fund and manage electricity payments for the full region for home haemodialysis. Where numbers are under 5 this has been stated and further detail cannot be provided due to possible identification of patients.
I recognise the importance of this issue and my officials continue to engage with Trusts in progressing standardisation of arrangements and good practice with regards communication and are currently working with the Renal Stakeholder Group to organise a workshop to discuss these issues with charitable and patient representatives.