Building work is progressing on the site of a new centre for people with kidney disease, thanks to partnership working between two local NHS hospital trusts.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for providing renal services across Lancashire and South Cumbria, has partnered with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to build a new renal dialysis centre on the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital site.
Dialysis is a treatment to remove waste products and extra fluid from the blood and is given to patients whose kidneys have stopped working properly. The purpose-built facility will feature 24 dialysis stations as well as clinic facilities.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Kevin McGee said: “We are grateful to our colleagues at East Lancashire Hospitals for their assistance and support in creating this important new dialysis centre.
“The improvements we are making in East Lancashire will mean that patients will enjoy much more comfortable surroundings and an all-together better experience when they make their regular visits to our sites for this life-saving treatment.”
Dialysis is currently delivered from a portable building on the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital site, but will move to the purpose-built new facility in June 2022 as part of wider improvements to renal services in East Lancashire.
The new centre is being built on Old Bank Lane, close to the main entrance of Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital.
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Chief Executive Martin Hodgson said: “This is an excellent example of regional partnership working, with our two trusts working together for the benefit of our patients.
“It makes sense for lots of reasons to continue to provide dialysis at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, and we have been delighted to assist Lancashire Teaching Hospitals with various aspects of the project including identifying appropriate land on the site and advising on utilities connections.”
The new building will be the second new renal facility for East Lancashire, following the opening of a new centre in Burnley in October 2021.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Clinical Director for Renal Medicine Dr Mark Brady said: “We have worked closely with patients throughout the project to ensure our facilities meet their needs and are grateful to colleagues at East Lancashire Hospitals for the assistance they have given to make this new centre a reality.
“Patients who use dialysis units like this are with us for many hours each week, so it is important to us that they can access treatment in comfortable, high-quality surroundings.