New kidney dialysis unit for Hampshire
If plans are approved, it'll be built at Fareham Community Hospital
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) has submitted a planning application for a brand new multi-million pound Renal Dialysis Unit in Fareham.
The 25-bed centre will be housed in a new modular build on the Fareham Community Hospital site and provide life-saving treatment, closer to home for an additional 150 patients a week.
The Trust has seen an increase in need for dialysis treatment since the COVID-19 pandemic and the new centre is vital to provide further capacity for those patients.
Evidence shows that providing dialysis closer to home saves lives and local patients will save more than 380,000 miles in travel, meaning better outcomes and a reduction in environmental impact.
If approved by Fareham Borough Council, the new unit is hoped to open in early 2023.
Shelia Humphrey, Senior Lead Nurse for Renal and Transplantation at PHU, said: “It is really exciting to take the next step with our new dialysis unit and we know it will make a big difference for our patients.
"Our existing provision is at full capacity with patients having to travel further to get their treatment. This new Renal Dialysis Unit will give us the capacity we need to meet the needs of our local community and enable us give all our patients the very best possible care.”
The centre will allow patients to access dialysis treatment closer to home during the day as well as 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.
Divisional Director for Networked Services and Consultant Nephrologist at PHU, Natalie Borman said: “These exciting plans are a result of fantastic collaboration between our clinicians, patients, colleagues, key partners and architects.
"We have also worked in close partnership with the ICS, NHS Property Services, the League of Friends and our local MP who are all supportive of providing this service locally for our patients.
"We know people may ask why the centre isn’t going to be built within Fareham Community Hospital and a feasibility study was carried out to see if this would be possible.
"However due to the space and equipment required for renal dialysis this wasn’t a viable solution. Our home dialysis therapies unit, which is nationally recognised, is still based at the FCH site and the Trust has also recently opened a chemotherapy unit and a Community Diagnostic Satellite Centre for ultrasound and neurophysiology testing.”
Fareham Borough Council will make a final planning decision this month.