Renal (nephrology) services — Otago and Southland

You can email Renal services at contactus@southerndhb.govt.nz or call:

• 03 474 0999 — Dunedin Hospital
• 03 218 1949 — Southland Hospital.

Dunedin Hospital

Street address

201 Great King Street
Dunedin

Postal address

Renal services
Private Bag 1921
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand

Southland Hospital

Street address

Kew Road
Invercargill

Postal address

Renal services
PO Box 828
Invercargill 9840
New Zealand

Renal services include the care of acutely ill patients as well as those with chronic illnesses who require long-term care.

Nephrologists are medical specialists who focus on disorders that affect the way the kidneys work. For example, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Nephrologists prescribe nonsurgical medical treatments for these disorders.

Conditions seen by a nephrologist may include:

• acute kidney injury – the sudden loss of kidney function (also called acute kidney injury)
• chronic, or long-term, renal failure – gradual worsening of kidney function
• chronic or frequent urinary tract infections
• haematuria – blood in the urine
• hypertension – that has not responded to anti-hypertensive therapy
• proteinuria – protein in the urine
• patients with end stage kidney disease requiring renal replacement therapy (dialysis and transplantation).

Dialysis rooms

There is an unstaffed haemodialysis room at Dunstan Hospital (2 to 3 chairs) and a dialysis room at Invercargill (1 to 2 chairs) for away from home haemodialysis.

For access to Dunstan or Invercargill haemodialysis rooms, contact the Dialysis service by:

• phone 03 470 9345
• email DialysisService@southerndhb.govt.nz

Note that access to the Invercargill dialysis room is only for use Monday to Friday during normal business, subject to availability.

People may be referred to renal medicine specialists by a healthcare provider or other medical specialist.