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News - Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading Berkshire UK |
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| Battle Hospital |
| Improved Dialysis Facilities for East Berks Patients |
| Date : - 07/01/2008 |
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More patients in East Berkshire who need dialysis services are to get their treatment closer to home.
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is to invest £650,000 in a scheme which will allow many more patients to be treated at its satellite unit between Windsor and Slough. It is part of an on-going initiative by the Trust to take facilities out into the community so patients can access treatment closer to their homes rather than having to make the longer journey to hospital.
Building work is now under way and the first new patients will be receiving treatment there within six months.
The unit, opened in 2003, is managed by Fresenius Medical Renal Services - a world leader in this specialist area. Fresenius built and equipped the unit in a joint venture with the Trust - the fastest way to get this important facility up and running for the benefit of patients.
The expansion plan will allow the unit to increase its capacity from 90 patients to 144. Fresenius will continue to provide the service in conjunction with the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust until 2012.
Prior to the unit opening patients living in East Berkshire who needed haemodialysis treatment had to travel to Reading three times a week - taking up to four hours for the round trip in an ambulance.
Renal Consultant at the Trust, Dr Lindsey Barker said: "Dialysis itself is a huge burden and we know that people like to be treated as close to home as possible. We are delighted to be able to offer this facility to more East Berkshire people."
GPs and their patients -campaigned to get the expanded services for their area - representatives gave their active support to the planning application - eventually decided at an appeal.
Renal patients in East Berkshire say the new facilities will make a big difference to their daily lives.
Bob Price, Treasurer of the Six Counties Kidney Patients Association, which represents dialysis users in Berkshire, said: "It will enable patients in the surrounding area access to life saving treatment more conveniently - and save travelling up to 60 mile round trips on hospital transport. Previously treatment and transport time could take up to 12 hours, three times a week, putting extra stress and fatigue on top on an already exhausting treatment regime.
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| Reference : - www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/news/improved-dialysis-facilities-east-berks-patients.php |
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