6 September 2023

A new multi-million-pound dialysis centre has opened its doors to its first patients.

The 25-bed Fareham Renal Dialysis Centre, run by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, is now providing life-saving services for kidney patients closer to home.

Linda Booker, who has been receiving dialysis treatment for six years, has had her travel time cut in half.

The 71-year-old said: “This new centre is much closer to home and has cut my travel time by half. I now have more time before and after my treatment as it doesn’t take as long to get here which is really great.

“The place has a really nice calm feel and it is great to look out the windows to see nature whilst I am sat here.”

The Trust has seen an increase in need for dialysis treatment since the COVID-19 pandemic and the new facility is vital to provide further capacity for those patients.

The centre, based at the Fareham Community Hospital site, will treat up to 150 patients a week and save local patients more than 380,000 miles in travel distance.

Janet Painton has been receiving dialysis treatment for the last 6 weeks after her kidney transplant, from 2003, began to fail.

The 68-year-old from Southampton said: “I had my first few weeks of treatment at Queen Alexandra Hospital and now I am having it in Fareham. It is much better for me to have the treatment here as it only takes 18 minutes from my home and I don’t have to go on the M27.

“The staff are absolutely fantastic!”

Clinic Manager Sharon Huggins has been leading the new team at the centre for the past few weeks.

She said: “It is really exciting for our staff to be able to deliver care and treatment in such a fresh and calming space for our patients. We have had so much positive feedback about how easy it is to get here and how nice it is.

“One of our patients, who used to take patient transport to Queen Alexandra Hospital, told me that he can now get himself to treatment as it is so close to his home. It has been great for our team to really hear the positive impact this is having for our patients.”

Divisional Director for Networked Services and Consultant Nephrologist at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Natalie Borman said: “We are thrilled to see our new 25 station dialysis facility open.

“For patients, living with kidney failure, the burden of travelling for their life-saving treatment three times a week has a big impact on their quality of life and it is great to hear in the first few weeks the impact this new centre has made already.”

The centre will also provide services for local residents with Chronic Kidney disease (CKD) who would normally have to travel for specialist outpatient care, intravenous iron fusions, dialysis planning and education.

Patient transport will be provided for those eligible and there is also free parking on site.