July 30th, 2026News from Your Local Health Service

Daylesford Dialysis – delivering more than treatment

For Daylesford resident Peter Smith, the dialysis team at Daylesford Health is more than a group of healthcare professionals. They are family.
For the past six years, Peter, a resident at Lumeah Lodge, has attended dialysis treatment at Daylesford Hospital three days a week, spending four hours at a time in the unit. Over the years, the time spent with staff and fellow patients has fostered friendships and a strong sense of belonging.
“We are so lucky to have dialysis treatment available at Daylesford Hospital,” Peter said. “We don’t have to travel long distances, and the staff and fellow recipients become like close friends and family. The hospital is such a vital community asset. I don’t know where we would be without it.”
Peter’s experience reflects the growing importance of Daylesford’s dialysis service, which delivered more than 1100 life-sustaining treatments over the past 12 months, making it the busiest year in the unit’s history.
Operating as a satellite dialysis service of Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Daylesford unit has significantly expanded in recent years, increasing from three treatment days each week to six. The growth has enabled more patients across the region to access vital care closer to home.
Local stalwart and long-time hospital volunteer Max Primmer understands this better than most. Before receiving a kidney transplant in 2012, Max underwent dialysis treatment at Daylesford Hospital. Today, he continues to give back through regular volunteer work, visiting patients in the acute ward, aged care residents and those receiving dialysis treatment.
“I was fortunate to receive treatment at Daylesford before receiving my new kidney in 2012,” Max said. “Over the years, we have all been incredibly lucky with the staff who spend hours alongside us during treatment, and of course with our fellow recipients. I remember one resident who used to bake amazing cakes and desserts, and everyone looked forward to their treatment days.
“Then there was the time I introduced another recipient to English comedy videos. Let’s just say they had never experienced that kind of humour before.”
Although his treatment days are behind him, Max remains closely connected to the dialysis unit. “I still spend time in dialysis as a volunteer, and I couldn’t imagine my life without Daylesford dialysis,” he said.
“Being able to receive treatment close to home, surrounded by people I cared about, made an enormous difference. It’s a service that means so much to so many people in our community.”
As demand continues to grow, Daylesford Hospital’s dialysis service remains more than a place of treatment. For many patients, it is a source of connection, companionship and support, delivering a sense of community alongside essential healthcare.

Pictured above, from left, Yvonne Clohesy, Jascent MacDonald, Peter Smith, Max Primmer and Kelly Dart