AN EXTRA 20 kidney dialysis patients a week can now be treated at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital as a result of a £90,000 expansion to the haemodialysis unit.

As well as providing five additional life-saving haemodialysis machines for people with renal failure, the expansion also included the refurbishment of the extension, to provide a more relaxed and pleasant environment for patients undergoing treatment.

The unit treats high-dependency patients from all over Kent, and also acts as the local chronic haemodialysis unit and as a back up facility for peritoneal dialysis patients temporarily requiring dialysis.

It also provides a back up facility for dialysis patients requiring inpatient care from all over east and west Kent.

Keith Crittenden, finance manager, specialist services and Nicky Coffey, commissioner, specialist services, from the Kent and Medway Specialist Commissioning Team, officially opened the new expanded unit on Monday.

Speaking at the opening Valerie Parsons, sister on the haemodialysis unit said: "Dialysis machines are vital to those suffering with renal failure, so to be able to treat an extra 20 patients a week is such good news for the centre here at the K&C.

"A special thanks must go to the renal technicians, who are responsible for the servicing and maintenance of haemodialysis machines and associated equipment, as they volunteered to vacate their workshop area so that the renal unit could utilise their space to facilitate the expansion.

"Our thanks must also go to all the staff involved with the planning, refurbishment work and implementation of the project, as well as the Patient Advocacy Liaison Service (PALS) who in turn vacated their office premises to ensure that the technicians were re-housed within close proximity to the unit."