Every week Moss Vale resident Douglas Mackinlay drives himself to Liverpool for renal dialysis.
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This is due to a lack of places available for the service at Bowral and District Hospital.
Mr Mackinlay started the treatment at a private clinic in April this year. He has completed about 30 four-and-a-half hour sessions so far.
Due to his kidney condition as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, the veteran is susceptible to experiencing "a complete loss of energy".
This can pose challenges for his commute.
Mr Mackinlay's treatments finish at 7pm and as such, he's unable to use a patient transport service.
He initially dialysed three times a week but he reduced this to two sessions, due to the toll the travel time took on his mental health.
Mr Mackinlay said it was time Bowral and District Hospital expanded its renal dialysis service.
A spokesman for Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith, who spoke with South West Sydney Area Health District officials, confirmed "there will be an expansion to the renal dialysis service".
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"Once the hospital upgrade has been completed and all of the requisite protocols and equipment is available this will occur," the MP's spokesman said.
"There will be one additional chair [to] bring the total to six."
The MP's spokesman said "a lack of space is preventing the service to be expanded at present".
Mr Mackinlay said he believed the addition of one chair was "not sufficient".
The Moss Vale resident said he knew four other Southern Highlands residents who travelled to Sydney for renal dialysis, due to a lack of available chairs in Bowral.
Mr Mackinlay has called on NSW Health to explore other options and expand the service immediately.
"We need at least a couple of additional chairs. We need it yesterday," he said.
"They mentioned a lack of space. In an ideal world that could be solved by having some dialysis machines in a demountable.
"Even on a truck or a bus, similar to how the mobile blood bank operates."
Bowral and District Hospital general manager Ken Barnett said the renal dialysis unit "is fully staffed to provide care for four patients per week".
"For patients requiring more acute care, they may need to travel to Campbelltown or Liverpool Hospitals for specialised tertiary services," he said.
Mr Barnett said stage one of the Bowral and District Hospital redevelopment "is expected to be completed later this year".
"It includes a new ED, operating theatres, more sub-acute beds and maternity unit," he said.
"As part of the redevelopment process, the South Western Sydney Local Health District is engaging with the community and a regular meeting is held with the local renal support group to discuss expanding the renal dialysis unit to be able to provide care to more patients."
Despite the commute to Liverpool, Mr Mackinlay has praised the professionalism of staff and administrators at Fresenius Medical Care in Liverpool. "I'm being very well looked after," he said.
However Mr Mackinlay said he still held out hope for an expanded renal dialysis service in Bowral, which would give him the opportunity to increase the frequency of his treatment to three times a week.
"It would mean a 10 minute drive. I'd seriously consider it," he said.
