North Wales kidney patients' pioneering Skype scheme widens

More kidney patients in rural parts of North Wales who receive home dialysis are turning to video calls to speak to specialist nurses, rather than having to make the long journey to hospital.

The Skype scheme has been running at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor since 2011, and has become a popular way for patients like David Cusack, pictured above, to troubleshoot minor issues.

This week, on World Kidney Day, Kidney Wales Foundation presented five tablet computer devices to Ysbyty Gwynedd's renal unit to widen the treatment.

More than 1,200 people in Wales rely on dialysis treatment because their kidneys aren't functioning, and most are on the kidney transplant list.

Lorna Prichard reports.