Holiday dialysis (Dialysis away from base (holiday haemodialysis))
Arranging your usual dialysis at a unit away from home so you can travel or take a holiday safely.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- Holiday dialysis is your normal dialysis arranged at a unit away from home, so the priority is careful planning, not a new treatment.
- Give plenty of notice: ideally several weeks for UK trips and around three months for abroad, because units have limited slots.
- In the UK the NHS usually covers it and free booking help exists; abroad, costs and cover vary widely and good travel insurance is essential.
- Never skip a session to fit travel, and check infection precautions, vaccinations and that the host unit has your up-to-date results.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Lets you take a holiday or visit family without missing dialysis
Travel may be unwise if your dialysis or access is unstable, or you have a recent serious complication, until your team says you are fit.
You arrange the host unit, send results, sort payment or insurance and plan sessions around the trip.
Your home unit remaining your point of contact and resuming care on return.
You arrange the host unit, send results, sort payment or insurance and plan sessions around the trip.
Confirm the bookings, pack enough medicines plus extra, and carry your medical and insurance details.
You attend the host unit for your usual sessions. Keep to your schedule and fluid and diet advice despite being on...
Your home unit resumes your care and reviews anything that changed while you were away.
What is holiday dialysis?
Holiday dialysis, or dialysis away from base, means arranging your regular haemodialysis at a unit near where you are travelling, so you can take a holiday or visit family without missing treatment. Your home unit and the host unit coordinate so your treatment continues safely.
It is not a different treatment, it is your usual dialysis delivered somewhere else. The key work is in the planning: confirming a unit has space, sending your medical details and recent blood and virus results, sorting payment or insurance, and making sure your trip is built around your sessions rather than the other way round.
Within the UK, the NHS usually covers dialysis away from base, and free services exist to help you find and book a unit. Abroad, it is more complex: a GHIC or EHIC card may cover or reduce costs in the EU, but not everywhere accepts it, some countries charge a co-payment the NHS will not refund, and elsewhere you pay the full cost, so travel insurance that genuinely covers dialysis is essential.
Done well, it lets many dialysis patients travel; done poorly, it risks missed sessions, unexpected bills or treatment in a unit without your full information.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Where you dialyse: cost and cover
| Destination | Likely cost cover | Notice to allow |
|---|---|---|
| Within the UK | Usually NHS-covered | Several weeks |
| EU/EEA (GHIC/EHIC) | Free or reduced; co-pays possible | Around 3 months |
| Most other countries | You usually pay in full; insurance vital | Around 3 months or more |
Always confirm cover in writing before booking travel, and never assume a unit accepts a GHIC or EHIC card.
Preparing for your procedure
- Tell your kidney team as early as possible, ideally several weeks ahead for the UK and around three months for abroad.
- Confirm a host unit has space and accepts your method of payment before you book flights or accommodation.
- Make sure recent blood results and virus screening (such as hepatitis B and C) are sent to the host unit.
- Check your vaccinations, including hepatitis B immunity, especially for higher-risk destinations.
- Arrange travel insurance that explicitly covers dialysis and your kidney condition; read the small print.
- Carry enough of your medicines for the trip plus extra in case of delays, in your hand luggage.
- Plan your sessions around the journey, never skip a session to catch a flight, and allow for time-zone changes.
What happens
Once you and your kidney team decide on a trip, they (or a free booking service for UK travel) help find a unit near your destination with space at the right times. Your medical summary, dialysis prescription and recent blood and virus results are sent ahead so the host unit can treat you safely.
You confirm payment or insurance cover before booking your travel and accommodation. For the UK this is usually straightforward and NHS-funded; abroad it needs more checking, including whether a GHIC or EHIC card is accepted and whether a co-payment applies.
At your destination, you attend the host unit for sessions just as you would at home, around four hours each, on your usual schedule. The host unit follows your prescription and reports back to your home team if needed.
After the trip, your home unit picks up your care again. If anything changed while you were away, such as your fluid status or access, they review it.
Is this procedure right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- Travel may be unwise if your dialysis or access is unstable, or you have a recent serious complication, until your team says you are fit.
- Destinations without a suitable unit, or where standards or blood-borne-infection risk are high, may not be safe.
- Very last-minute trips where no unit can be confirmed in time.
- Trips where you cannot secure insurance that genuinely covers dialysis and your kidney condition.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You have an active infection or unstable fluid balance.
- Your recent blood or virus results are not available to send to the host unit.
- Cover or a confirmed slot is not yet in place; do not book travel first.
- Your access has recently been created or has been giving problems.
Alternatives to discuss
- Choosing a UK destination, where the NHS usually covers dialysis and booking is simpler.
- Travelling within the EU/EEA where a GHIC or EHIC card may help with costs.
- Shorter trips that fit between sessions without needing dialysis away from base.
- For some people on other treatments, peritoneal dialysis or a transplant can make travel simpler, to discuss long-term with your team.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Benefits
- Lets you take a holiday or visit family without missing dialysis
- Keeps your treatment safe and on schedule while you are away
- In the UK, is usually NHS-funded with free help to book
- Supports a more normal life and wellbeing alongside dialysis
- Coordinates your care between home and host units
Risks & complications
- Disappointment if no unit has space, particularly in popular destinations or peak season
- Unexpected costs abroad, including co-payments the NHS will not refund
- The hassle of arranging results, insurance and bookings well in advance
- Tiredness from travel on top of dialysis sessions
- Treatment at a unit that does not have your full, up-to-date information
- Insurance not covering dialysis or your kidney condition, leaving you with a large bill
- Differences in equipment or practice at the host unit needing adjustment
- Catching a blood-borne infection where standards are lower or in higher-risk regions
- A medical problem abroad that is harder or more expensive to manage than at home
The main risks are practical and financial rather than medical: not finding a slot, unexpected bills, or being treated without your full information. Abroad, confirm in writing what is covered before you book, and make sure your recent virus screening and prescription reach the host unit. Never skip a session to fit travel plans, and check vaccinations and infection precautions for your destination.
Published figures to discuss
The main uncertainties are practical: whether a slot is available, what it will cost and whether your information reaches the host unit. Medical risks are broadly those of your usual dialysis plus travel and, in some regions, infection. There are no meaningful complication percentages specific to holiday dialysis, so we describe risks qualitatively rather than inventing figures.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dialysis slot unavailable or unsuitable | Planning-dependent | Units need clinical information, blood-borne virus status and prescription details well before travel. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Infection-control documentation incomplete | Common administrative risk | Missing hepatitis/HIV/MRSA or recent blood results can delay or prevent treatment away from base. | NHS - Healthcare abroad (GHIC/EHIC)nhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Fluid or potassium problems while travelling | Higher with diet change or missed sessions | Travel plans should include emergency contacts, diet/fluid advice and what to do if a session is missed. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Access problem away from home unit | Important safety issue | Bleeding, infection, line damage or fistula failure needs urgent local dialysis/renal advice. | NHS - Healthcare abroad (GHIC/EHIC)nhs.ukSource-linked context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
There is no physical recovery, holiday dialysis is your usual treatment in a different place. What matters is that sessions go ahead as planned and your home team picks up your care smoothly afterwards.
- Feeling a little more tired than usual from travelling around your sessions
- Minor differences in how a host unit runs compared with home
- Needing to keep to fluid and diet limits even on holiday
- Slipping straight back into your home schedule on return
Aftercare
- Keep to your dialysis schedule throughout the trip, never skip a session for travel.
- Stick to your fluid, salt, potassium and phosphate advice, even on holiday.
- Take all your medicines as usual and keep spares in your hand luggage.
- Protect your fistula or line and watch for redness, discharge or fever.
- Keep copies of your medical summary and insurance details with you.
- Report any problems at the host unit to your home team.
- Book a review with your home unit if anything changed while you were away.
- Host unit confirmed and slots booked
- Recent blood and virus results sent ahead
- Travel insurance covering dialysis and your kidney condition
- Vaccinations, including hepatitis B, checked
- Enough medicines plus extra in hand luggage
- Medical summary and dialysis prescription to carry
- Home unit contact details and an emergency plan
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Your fistula stops buzzing, or the access arm becomes painful, cold or swollen, seek help locally and contact your home unit
- Redness, swelling, discharge or pain at your access, or a fever, possible infection
- Bleeding from the access that does not stop with pressure, get emergency help
- Severe breathlessness, inability to lie flat or marked swelling, suggesting fluid overload
- Chest pain, palpitations or feeling faint
- Missing or being unable to attend a planned session, contact the host and home units urgently
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
Holiday dialysis works well when sessions go ahead as planned, your treatment stays safe and on schedule, and you can enjoy your trip. The result is continuity of care, not a change in your kidney treatment.
Success depends mostly on good planning: a confirmed unit, your information sent ahead, and costs sorted in advance. It cannot remove every risk of travel or guarantee a slot in a busy destination, so flexibility and early booking matter.
Holiday dialysis is arranged trip by trip rather than being an ongoing change to your care. Each journey needs fresh planning, confirmation of a unit and up-to-date results. As your health or access changes, what is sensible for travel may change too, so check with your kidney team each time rather than assuming last year's arrangements still apply.
Related tests, treatments or support
Holiday dialysis sits within your overall dialysis care and the same medicines, fluid and diet plans. It is often arranged alongside travel-health advice, vaccination checks and travel insurance. If you are on the transplant waiting list, discuss with your team how being away might affect your availability for a transplant call.
Follow-up & long-term care
Your home unit remains responsible for your overall care and resumes it when you return, reviewing your fluid status, access and any results from the host unit. For abroad, keep receipts and records in case of insurance claims. Plan ahead again for any future trips, as arrangements are made afresh each time.
- Plan and confirm arrangements separately for each trip
- Keep virus screening and blood results up to date for host units
- Keep vaccinations current
- Review travel insurance cover before every journey
- Check with your team how travel fits with any transplant listing
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Arrangements are made afresh for each trip and may need changing if a unit's availability or your health alters.
- Occasionally a planned unit cannot take you and an alternative must be found, so build in flexibility.
- Anything that changes while away, such as fluid status, is reviewed by your home unit on return.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- Your home unit remaining your point of contact and resuming care on return.
- Confirmation in writing of the host unit, slots and costs before you travel.
- Your full, up-to-date medical and virus information shared with the host unit.
- A clear plan for what to do, and who to contact, if a problem arises while away.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- Whether you are travelling within the UK or abroad
- Whether a GHIC or EHIC card is accepted and whether a co-payment applies
- Private cruise or resort dialysis fees, where chosen
- Travel insurance covering dialysis and your kidney condition
- Number of sessions needed during the trip
- Any extra tests or virus screening required by the host unit
- Travel and accommodation built around session times
- The cost per session at the host unit and what it includes
- Whether a GHIC or EHIC card is accepted, or a co-payment applies
- What your travel insurance covers for dialysis and kidney problems
- What happens if a session is cancelled or you need extra treatment
- Whether transport to the host unit is included
- What information the host unit needs in advance
- Cancellation terms if your trip changes
On the NHS? Within the UK the NHS usually covers dialysis away from base for NHS patients; abroad, cover depends on the country, a GHIC or EHIC card and your travel insurance, and the NHS will not refund overseas co-payments.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Assuming a GHIC or EHIC card covers everything abroad when many units do not accept it or charge co-payments.
- Booking travel before a dialysis slot and cover are confirmed.
- Not ensuring recent virus screening and your prescription reach the host unit.
- Underestimating the cost of dialysis and emergencies abroad without proper insurance.
Marketing red flags
- Holiday or cruise packages that promise dialysis without confirming unit standards or what is included.
- Claims that a GHIC or EHIC card means treatment is always free abroad.
- Pressure to book travel before dialysis is confirmed.
- Resort dialysis advertised without clear medical information requirements.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- How much notice do you need to arrange dialysis away from base for my trip?
- Will my destination accept a GHIC or EHIC card, or will I have to pay?
- What results and information will the host unit need from you?
- What vaccinations or infection precautions do I need for where I am going?
- What should I do if I have a problem with my access while away?
- How might travelling affect my place on the transplant waiting list?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Can I go on holiday if I am on dialysis?
How much notice do I need to give?
Will the NHS pay for it?
Do I need travel insurance?
Is it safe to dialyse abroad?
Can I get help to book it?
Find a verified specialist for holiday dialysis
Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.
No verified consultants list this procedure yet — browse the full directory.
How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: Kidney Care UK - Dialysis away from base (DAFB) Kidney Care UK - Guide to travelling abroad as a kidney patient National Kidney Federation - Holiday guide for kidney patients NHS - Healthcare abroad (GHIC/EHIC) NHS - Dialysis
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
Related guides: Haemodialysis · Kidney biopsy · Acute kidney injury treatment · Anaemia of kidney disease management · Blood in urine (haematuria) investigation